Bloodshed
by BellaSalvatore1918
Summary: After her father died, Anastasia Miller decided that she needed to make a change. When Stefan and Damon come to Mystic Falls, she gets her wish. There are vampires, witches, werewolves, and doppelgängers running amiss in her town, but with secrets being the only thing protecting her from her inevitable ending, will Damon and Stefan be able to save her before her time runs out?
1. Pilot

**Hi, everyone. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you :) **

**So, just a little explanation: This story will mostly be told from my OC's point of view. But when I do need to switch POVs, (for some reason that will probably only be used in a dire need), it'll be in 3****rd**** person. But that will most likely never happen. ****I'm trying to make myself more conscious of not stealing Elena's lines...I think I do it because I just really don't like her character at all, but Elena has all the good lines. So, instead, I'm pushing Elena further back while changing her lines and adding new scenes every once in a while. The plot line will change, too, not in a drastic way, but drastic enough for the main character.**

**The actors who I cast as my OCs are on my profile, one of whom you have not met yet and will not meet until near the end of the season, if I get there, of course. Feel free to check it out. **

**So that's pretty much it. Please enjoy the chapter and make sure to leave a comment at the end telling me what you thought!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with The Vampire Diaries or it's characters. I do own my original characters, Anastasia Miller and Shelby Matthews, along with the writing and the plotline that I create. I also own the future OC characters. **

* * *

_"Oh my god, please help me, knee deep in the river tryin' to get clean. He says wash your hands, get out the stains, but you best believe, boy, there's hell to pay. Yeah you best believe, boy, there's hell to pay, sayin'...Come on."_

_- Bartholomew; The Silent Comedy._

* * *

**Bloodshed**

**Season 1**

**Pilot**

I opened my eyes slowly to see the bright light of the morning sun stream into my windows, giving me its own wake-up call just as my alarm clock went off for the first time in three whole months. With a huge exhale, I moved my arm and hit the clock with tired limbs, and I knew that it was time to get out of bed.

After all, I hit the snooze button three times.

As I came out of my bathroom, twisting my medium-cut brunette colored hair around my finger so it rested on one side of my neck, someone banged on my door.

"Anastasia, hurry up! You're going to be late." I sighed heavily and bent down to put my stuff in my school bag. When I pulled it up in my hand, I caught sight of myself in the mirror and sighed. The ruby-colored necklace that I had worn since I was twelve shone on my collarbone, creating a ray of light with it's reflection.

"New year, new me," I whispered to myself and swallowed, staring at my reflection. I stared for a moment, but then blinked and decided that I wasn't supposed to wallow anymore. _New year, new me. _

"Well, well, well," my mother said as I set my bag down on the counter and entered the kitchen. "Look who finally got the urge to get out of bed." I walked over to the fridge and pulled out something for me to eat. "You know you have ten minutes to get to school, right?"

"I know, I know," I said under my breath. I could feel her gaze linger on me, so I looked up at her and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine."

Her gaze continued for a moment as I set down the milk on the counter and walked over to the pantry to get cereal, but when her phone rang, my mother sighed and answered it without hesitations.

"Emily Miller," she said into the phone, her tone as cold as it usually was. She was silent for a moment. "Yes. Okay. I'll be there in thirty." With a lingering second, she ended the phone call when I began to put my breakfast together, shaking the cereal out of the box first and pouring the milk in second. "Bonnie is picking you up, isn't she?"

"Yes," I returned. My mother nodded to herself and grabbed her briefcase when the phone rang again, speaking into it, she gave me a slight nod symbolizing a goodbye, and left.

I waited in my kitchen until Bonnie honked outside, and I locked the house until my return.

"Hey," I said as I climbed into the air-conditioned car and shut the door.

"Hey," Bonnie greeted me, reaching over the body of the car to hug me. We hugged for a moment before she pulled away. "How was your summer, Ana?" she asked.

I sighed. "Good," I told her, but she stared at me, as if fishing for more. "Seriously, Bonnie. It was good," I lied. Bonnie opened her mouth as if she was going to argue, and I just pretended not to see it as I buckled my seatbelt, and she got the hint. "How was your summer?" I inquired.

"_Awesome_," Bonnie said, giggling in the slightest as she put the car in reverse and began to pull out of my driveway. When she got onto the road, she switched gears and told me the entire story of her summer while we drove to pick up two others before we arrived at school.

"So, Grams is telling me I'm psychic," Bonnie Bennett relayed to the three of us inside of her vehicle – Elena Gilbert, Shelby Matthews, and myself. I sat in the front with her and Elena and Shelby sat in the back; the consequences of being the last stops before we headed off to the high school. "Our ancestors were from Salem—witches and all that. I know, _crazy_, but she's going on and on about it, and I'm like, put this woman in a _home _already." I smiled at the lightness in her tone as I looked out the window and Bonnie rambled on. "But then, I started thinking; I predicted Obama, and I predicted Heath Ledger, and I _still _think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands!" she exclaimed.

I turned my head to look back in the car. "Bonnie, you've been thinking that since we were in the eighth grade. Give it a rest."

"I don't know, I mean, _I _think it could be possible," Shelby said from the backseat, leaning forward to join the conversation. "You always hear about those crazy stories about supernatural happenings."

Elena snorted. "I think you're just thinking of the television shows you watch," she retorted. Shelby narrowed her eyes at her playfully.

"They're very educating," Shelby defended. Every one of us – including her – laughed as Elena continued the conversation.

"So, if this is all true, you should predict something," she suggested. "About us."

Bonnie sighed heavily and looked at me for a moment, and I raised my eyebrows, challenging her. "I see—"

Bonnie barely got the next words out of her mouth when something hit the windshield, and my only reaction was a surprised gasp. Bonnie swerved off the road, nearly taking a three-sixty before she slammed on the brakes and we came to a sudden stop. I could feel my heart beating rapidly inside of my chest.

"What was that?" Bonnie screeched.

"What the hell do you mean, 'What was that'?" Shelby yelled. "Does it really _matter_?"

"It was a bird or something," Elena said, her breath slow and deep.

Bonnie looked over at me, and I was the only one who wasn't saying anything. I tried to get my heart rate down as fast as I could before anyone grew self-conscious of me.

_Too late. _"Ana, are you okay?" Bonnie asked me, worry lacing every inch of her voice.

"Yes," I said slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"It was like a bird or something, it came out of _nowhere_."

"Really, Bonnie, it's fine." I took in a deep breath and felt my heart descend from the scare we just had. "If I spend the rest of my life afraid of riding in a car, I'm never going to get over it."

No one said anything until Bonnie sighed and began, looking back at Shelby and Elena before turning to me again. "I predict, this year is going to be kick-ass. And I predict _all _the sad and dark times are over and you are going to be _beyond _happy."

"I'm not even a psychic and I can tell that's going to happen," Shelby said, a wide smile on her face. Bonnie and I laughed.

"Psychics aren't real, Shelby," Elena started, but looked at Bonnie. "Though, I admit, I agree with that prediction."

I just smiled at Bonnie, and with a returning grin, she put the car in drive and began to make headway to the school again.

* * *

When we finally got to school, Bonnie and Elena went side-by-side into the school, no doubt catching up on the latest gossip. Though Elena still listened and laughed about it, I knew that she wasn't really into those things anymore since her parents died of a plane crash three years ago and her aunt moved in with her and her younger brother. In ways, we had a lot in common, but neither one of us tried to empathize with each other. I didn't know if it was because I wasn't ready or she wasn't ready, but I had the feeling that we both were trying to move on.

So, as Bonnie walked with Elena, I walked with Shelby, who went on about what she did over the summer.

"I hear Caroline's starting a new committee this year," she said to me, bumping me as we walked down the hallway in front of Elena and Bonnie. I scoffed.

"Doesn't surprise me," I admitted. "When do you think Caroline will _stop _being the head of all these committees?"

"When her daughter takes over," Shelby retorted, and I laughed, but then trailed off.

"I need to talk to her," I said, exhaling. Shelby raised her eyebrows.

"You think she still hasn't gotten over what you did?"

I thought about it for a moment before I responded. "I'm sure of it," I decided as we turned the corner and stopped at Bonnie's locker.

"Ugh," Bonnie grunted. "Find a man _and _coin a phrase. It's a busy year." She smiled and looked behind Elena through the window that Shelby left. Elena, Shelby, and I turned to see what Bonnie was staring at, and I realized that it was Matt Donovan, Elena's ex. Involuntarily, Shelby and I turned to see Elena, who waved once at Matt, and he just shut his locker and turned away. _Ouch, _I thought with a sigh.

"He hates me," Elena concluded as she turned around to face Bonnie.

"That's not hate," Bonnie tried. "That's, 'You dumped me, but I'm too cool to show it, but _secretly, _I'm listening to Air Supply's greatest hits'."

"He's just coping," I tried, feeling sorry for Matt. Ever since Elena broke up with him, he hasn't been the same. "He'll come around sooner or later," I said, trying to brighten Elena's spirits. But the guilt-filled girl just nodded at me and sighed, closing her eyes for a moment and leaning her head against the locker. I laughed for a moment before I turned my head to see Caroline walking by me, and I realized that I was the one who had to make the first move this time.

"Caroline," I began, grabbing her attention. Caroline laughed at her friend before she stopped to look at me, her smile fading. The friend continued walking and Caroline just crossed her arms at me.

"Anastasia," she said coldly. Looking past me, she looked at Bonnie, Shelby, and Elena and gave them a warm smile. "Hi, guys!" she said happily, not bothering to look back at me again.

"Caroline, _please_," I said, taking in a breath. "I'm so sorry—"

"I'll see you guys later," Caroline concluded and – without looking at me – walked away from us completely. I was left staring after her with a frustrated sigh.

"She still hates you, huh?" Elena asked with an exhale as I turned back to them. I nodded.

"She's overreacting," Bonnie spoke out. "So you stole her boyfriend, you've apologized for it."

I frowned at her. "When you put it that way, it just makes me sound terrible."

"Well, you _did _steal her boyfriend…" Shelby trailed off, and I sighed again.

"I've learned from my mistakes," I said firmly, looking at all of them. "Last year, I was…_terrible. _I was a stuck-up girl who thought she was the best at everything and was better than everyone." No one said anything, and we all knew it was because it was true. I wasn't proud of myself for it, but it _was _true. "But I've changed over the summer. I don't think like that anymore."

Bonnie nodded. "Now it's just up to Caroline to decide whether or not to forgive you for stealing her boyfriend," she concluded. I nodded slightly as we began to walk down the hallway, all four of us.

"But, in all fairness, he _wasn't _really her boyfriend," Elena defended me. "I mean…the guy was like twenty-something. He obviously couldn't have been serious with her."

"That doesn't change the fact that it was wrong," I told her, and wondered whose side I was on. Again – for what felt like the billionth time – I sighed. "Can we just…_not _talk about this? I _really _don't want to focus on the past right now."

"Agreed," Shelby said, oddly cheerful. "Past is the past." She gave us a slick look. "This year is going to be _amazing,_" she promised us, and we all laughed at her positivity. When we all stopped laughing, Bonnie pulled us to a stop in front of the attendance office.

"Hold up," she began. "Who's this?"

Elena shrugged. "All I see is back."

"It's a _hot _back," Bonnie returned. Elena laughed.

"No kidding," Shelby said as she blinked at the person in the attendance office. I said nothing, but I was admiring it as well. There was nothing wrong with admiring; even I was trying to change.

"I'm sensing Seattle," Bonnie started, narrowing her eyes. "And he plays the guitar," she added.

Elena laughed and turned to our friend. I just laughed and rolled my eyes playfully. "You're really going to run this whole 'psychic' thing into the ground, huh?" she questioned.

"Pretty much."

Elena chuckled, but then I felt a shift in her voice as I watched the new kid in the attendance office talk to the secretary. "I'll be right back," she excused herself, and I turned my head to watch her disappear down the hallway and go into the men's bathroom.

I pointed at it and looked back at Shelby. "Did she just go into the men's bathroom?" I asked, bewildered. If Elena wasn't telling us something…

I only got a shrug from Shelby as Bonnie tilted her head towards the floor and looked at the new student with willful eyes. "_Please _be hot," she chanted.

"Oh, dear God yes," Shelby agreed. I stood in the middle of it all, just laughing. It felt…_good _to not pine after someone anymore. To not waste my life away on men and sex.

At least, it felt good for now. I wondered what it'd be like what I _did _find someone that I liked enough to fall off the wagon for.

But before the new student could reveal himself to us, Shelby let out a sigh. "Well, I guess _I'll _never know if he is or isn't," she grumbled. I turned at her and raised my eyebrows and she looked over at a freshman in the middle of the hallway, talking to Tyler Lockwood, who was – no doubt – either going to corrupt the kid or bully him until Tyler graduated with us. "I'll see you guys in class."

I nodded at her and Shelby left, leaving me and Bonnie to see the identity of the new, mysterious student.

"I'm calling it," Bonnie said to me as we waited for the student to turn. "He's going to be hot."

I chuckled. "Bonnie, you can't just _call _someone being hot."

"I'm a psychic, of course I can," she shot, and I just rubbed my forehead. It wasn't long before he turned around, and I was impressed. He _was _hot. Bonnie predicted right.

With a smile, the new student passed us, and I felt the strange feeling that the smile was directed towards me. But he disappeared down the hallway in Shelby's direction, and he was lost in the sea of new students and returning students. Bonnie and I turned to each other.

"Maybe you _are _psychic," I whispered at her. Bonnie swallowed.

* * *

"Once our home state of Virginia joined Confederacy in eighteen sixty-one, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state. People in Virginia's Northwest region had different opinions form those in the traditional Deep South. And Virginia divided in eighteen sixty three with the…"

Unwillingly, my head rolled forward, completely bored by the lecture that Mr. Tanner was giving us. Knowing that he would catch me if I fell asleep, I quickly covered it up by shifting in my seat and looking back up at him to pay more attention, even though I had no intention to. Why was he so _boring_?

With a non-audible sigh, I rested my chin on my hand, but that's when my phone buzzed. Seeing as I had nothing better to do, I slipped it out of my pocket and checked it underneath the desk; out of Tanner's sight. It was a text from Bonnie.

**_Hawt-e. Starring at you. _**

_What the hell? _I thought, and slipped my phone back into my pocket. Stealthily, I turned my head to see that Bonnie wrong – the new student, presumably Stefan Salvatore – was not staring at me. And I didn't want him to. Sure, he was…handsome, I couldn't deny it. But I didn't need a relationship right now, I needed _time_.

* * *

After school, I decided not to take the offer that Bonnie extended to me – a drive back to my house. When she asked me first, I thought about saying yes, but I realized that there was something I needed to do before I went home to face the cold emptiness of my home.

Something that wouldn't have been if I hadn't been so reckless and gave up on being a high-end bitch before the car accident.

I rounded the corner and entered the town cemetery, but I heard a crow caw at me. Just in curiosity, I looked back, but shrugged and kept waking. I walked over the graves of people I didn't know until I got to the grave that I _did _know.

I didn't come to the grave to mourn or to cry – I had done my fair share of that over the summer. I had done _way _too much of it.

But, then again – how much was _too _much for grieving over your dead father?

With a long, exhausted sigh, I put my school bag down on the ground and sat down on my knees in front of my father's grave. I took in a bit breath and began.

"Do you think I'm being absolutely ridiculous?" I asked, fully aware that I was probably ridiculous for talking to a gravestone. Nevertheless, I continued. "Do you think that I'm…kidding myself? I'm trying to change, I'm trying to be a better person." I paused. "But will that make me different? Will that make me…." I trailed off and laughed. "Not…_me _anymore?" I exhaled and switched positions so I was sitting on my bottom, my knees to my chest. I rested my chin on my knees and thought for a moment. "How about I not bore you with my issues right now," I exhaled. "I made it through the day, at least. That was good. Caroline still hates me, but…it's _Caroline. _I'll buy her a nice pair of shoes and she'll forgive me." I stifled a tear and just looked up at the sky and laughed. "Though…I'm not sure why. I was a horrible friend. I still am."

Suddenly, another crow cawed.

"I'm sure that's not true," someone spoke. I gasped in surprise and turned my head to see a man – a man that I had never seen before. I got up from the ground and dusted myself off. That stifled tear broke through and I just wiped it away.

"What the…" I trailed off, and suddenly got enraged. "Do you just stand around, waiting for people to come and spill their guts out to you without even knowing?" I challenged, the old me breaking through in just the slightest bit.

The man laughed. "Of course," he said factiously, and I just squared my jaw. "I mean, what else to people come to cemeteries for?" The man raised his dark eyebrows and looked at me with illuminating blue eyes.

I tilted my head up and ran a hand through my hair in a slight frustration. I looked back at him and paused before I spoke again. "Do I know you or something?" I asked, confused.

"No," the man said, walking closer to me. I wavered, thinking about whether or not I should step back. "I'm new to town." He let a smirk slide onto his face. "I'm Damon," he began.

No polite handshake? Well, this guy wasn't very appealing to me – despite the fact that he wasn't bad-looking at all. I cleared my throat.

"So what _are _you doing here?" I asked, not even offering my own name to him. I had never seen him before, and therefore I didn't trust him.

"I come here once in a while and kill people when they're all alone." He said it so seriously, I didn't even realize he was joking until he smiled at me, though I still wasn't sure. I realized that he could sense my fear. "Relax," he instructed me. "I'm completely joking." Damon laughed. "No, I much prefer the forest to a cemetery for killing."

"You do realize that it's really not funny," I said, raising my eyebrows at him.

Damon sighed. "Oh, quite the contraire," he argued, looking elsewhere before looking back at me. "I find it _very _amusing." He laughed at his own sentence, and I just resisted the urge to roll my eyes at this jerk. But, if I had met him a couple months ago, there was no doubt that I would've been in the back of his car already.

It was a good thing I'd changed.

I cleared my throat again. "Well, I'm going to go," I said slowly, grabbing my bag from the ground and turning away.

But just as I turned, he was in front of me, and I gasped in shock. "I didn't get your name," he said, tilting his head at me and studying my features, I suppose. I clutched my chest for a moment before moving it to run through my hair.

"A-Anastasia," I stammered, trying to recover from the terror I was experiencing. This was making me more afraid by the minute. Not only was his smile evil and venomous, he was wearing all black, and he _looked _like someone who could potentially be a serial killer.

Damon smiled at me, his smile softer this time. "Anastasia," he repeated to himself. "It's a beautiful name," he complimented.

"Thank you," I said slowly. "Damon's a…very unique name." I tried to compliment him back, but I wasn't the best at it. I was still learning.

"Unique?" he challenged, raising his eyebrows at me playfully. I just stared at him. "Mm." He tilted his head and studied me again. "It was such a pleasure to meet you, Anastasia," he said, putting his own twist on my name. I felt a rush of…energy jolt through me.

"You, too, Damon," I responded. He reached forward and grabbed my hand gently, his lips brushing the back of it, his hot breath sending chills along my arm. I could see the playful smile on his lips, and I just took my hand back once he released it, shaking the feeling out of my body.

I was different now. I was good.

Without another word, I moved past him with a smile, and went back to my house.

* * *

That evening, Bonnie, Shelby, Elena, and I had made plans to meet up at the Mystic Grill together to hang out for a while. Elena and Bonnie were already at the table when I walked in, but Shelby wasn't. I saw Caroline in the corner of the Grill by the pool table, and I took in a deep breath. I didn't want to her to hate me. Yes, Caroline was almost as equipped with cruel intentions as I was a couple months ago, but that didn't change the fact that I had known her since the first grade when she moved to town. She was my oldest friend – and I didn't want that to go away.

I just wanted forgiveness.

But I wasn't going to get it tonight.

With a sigh, I walked over to Bonnie and Elena, who were laughing and talking while taking breaks to sip their drinks. I put my jacket on the chair I claimed and sat down with a smile at them.

"Hey," they greeted at the same time. I said my greeting back to them, and we began to talk.

"Hey, where did you go today after school?" Bonnie asked, fishing again.

"I went to the cemetery," I said, and then I remembered and began to share the story. "It as the _weirdest _thing. I was talking to my dad's gravestone and then this guy came up to me and started cracking jokes about being a serial killer."

Neither one of them said anything until Elena broke the silence. "And your first instinct was to run away and call the police, _right_?" she prompted. I leaned back in my chair.

"Well, no." Bonnie widened her eyes. "I mean, relax. It was a joke. We just…talked for a minute and then he kissed my hand and I—"

"He _kissed _you?" Elena demanded.

"_My hand,_" I replied slowly, and she frowned at me. "What? It didn't go any further than that. I wouldn't let it."

Bonnie groaned. "Was he hot?" she asked me.

"What does that matter?"

"I'm either going to hit you upside the head for not kissing him right there or at _least _bringing him back for me to try or I'm either going to sit back, drink my drink, and be happy that you shot him down." Bonnie grinned at me as I just grimaced at her.

"Well?" Elena prompted. I widened my eyes in alarm at her as I turned my head to face my friend. "What? I want to know, too."

I groaned. "You two are ridiculous." I played with my necklace on my neck, thinking of my answer, but then I got distracted when Shelby walked in the front door. With someone else by her side. "Speaking of hot…"

Elena and Bonnie turned to see Shelby look around for the three of us, Stefan Salvatore by her side. She turned to look at Stefan and gave him a smile, and he gave one in return.

"That's _so _not fair," Bonnie grumbled under her breath. I, on the other hand, was happy for her nonetheless.

"Hey," Shelby said cheerfully as she walked up to the table with Stefan by her side. I smiled at the both of them as Elena, Bonnie, and I all repeated the greeting.

"Hi," someone else spoke, and I saw Caroline behind Stefan and Shelby. Caroline didn't look at me once. "I'm Caroline," she began, sticking her hand out to shake Stefan's. Stefan took it and shook her hand.

"Stefan," he informed. She nodded and looked at me for a split second, and I felt a glimmer of hope. But when she avoided my gaze, she turned to Bonnie and Elena.

"Do you guys mind if I join you?" she asked, a smile across her face. Elena and Bonnie's gazes flickered to me, but they eventually answered for themselves with a muttered "yes". Caroline pulled up a chair, as did Stefan to accommodate his presence.

"Bonnie," Bonnie introduced herself. Stefan nodded.

"Elena."

He looked at me next. "Anastasia, but you can call me Ana," I said, smiling at him widely. Stefan smiled back at me genuinely, and I felt my smile grow wider. When he sat down, Caroline began.

"So," Caroline started. "You were born in Mystic Falls?"

"Mmhm," Stefan hummed. "And, uh, moved when I was still young."

"Parents?" Bonnie questioned.

"My parents passed away," he answered. Everything was quiet, and I realized that everyone's gaze turned towards me. I just looked at Stefan with empathy.

"I'm sorry," I condoled. Stefan nodded at me. "Any siblings?"

He let a smile out on his face and jerked his head forward. "None that I talk to," he responded, and I could tell that he was holding back a larger smile. I wasn't sure why. "I live with my uncle," he told me.

I could see Caroline out of the corner of my eye with a frown set straight on her face, directing that disapproval to me and Stefan. "So, Stefan, if you're new, you don't know about the party tomorrow."

"It's a back to school thing at the falls," Bonnie explained.

Stefan turned to Shelby, who was eating the cherry off of her drink. "Are you going?" he asked.

She nodded and swallowed her cherry. "Yep," she replied. "Though it's not really a big deal, almost everyone goes. Except for the freshman, so at least my brother won't be there." Shelby chuckled and Stefan smiled at her, and everyone at the table realized that it was an inside joke between them. Elena and I exchanged a glance in amusement. When was the last time Shelby liked someone? Freshman year?

This was almost like a milestone.

And I was truly happy for her and Stefan, whatever it turned out to be.

* * *

"The Battle of Willow Creek," Tanner began, "took place right at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls." He walked out from behind his desk. "How many casualties resulted in this battle?" _Shoot. _I didn't know this one. "Miss Bennett?"

"Um…" Bonnie began. "A lot?" she answered. Everyone in the class chuckled. "I'm not sure. But, like, a _whole _lot." She nodded with a false smile on her face.

"Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Miss Bennett." Bonnie lowered her eyes shamefully. "Mister Donovan!" Tanner sung. "Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?"

"It's okay, Mister Tanner. I'm cool with it."

Again, everyone chuckled, including Tanner – though his laugh wasn't all that amusing.

"Anastasia?" Mr. Tanner started, directing his attention towards me. That's what I was afraid of. "Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most historical events."

"Uh…" I trailed off, but sighed. "I'm sorry, I…I don't know," I said honestly, thinking that it was better to tell the truth than to just lie.

He just stared at me for a while. "I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons, Anastasia. But the personal excuses ended with summer break."

I flinched lightly and lowered my eyes, my heart darkening. Did he really _honestly _tell me that my not knowing about how many _freaking _casualties in the Battle of Willow Creek was relevant to the fact that my dad died?

"There were three hundred and forty-six casualties, unless you're counting the local civilians."

I turned my head to see where the voice came from, and I recognized it as Stefan's. A smile spread across my face.

"That's correct," Tanner commented. "Mister…?"

"Salvatore."

"Salvatore," Tanner repeated. "Any relation to the original settlers here in Mystic Falls?"

"Distant," Stefan responded with a hesitation.

"Well, very good," Tanner praised. "Except, of course, there were no civilian casualties in this battle." He turned away to continue the lesson, but Stefan spoke again.

"Actually, there were, uh, twenty-seven, sir," Stefan said respectfully. "Confederate soldiers; they fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons. They were wrong. It was a night of great loss." Tanner swept his eyes across the classroom and hung his head. "The founder's archives are in Civil Hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts, Mister Tanner."

I felt like bursting out into laughter, but if I did that I knew I would be expelled. But I was so grateful to Stefan – for not only saving my own ass but showing Tanner's right to him.

And, for once, Tanner had nothing to say.

After the bell rung, I gathered my stuff into my arms and walked over to Stefan's desk, giving him a smile as I approached. He gave me a smile in return.

"Thank you," I said quietly as he gathered his stuff and put his bag on his arm. I walked out with him. "For saving me back there…and showing Tanner up. That was really…_awesome_." I laughed.

Stefan laughed as well. "Anytime," he responded. "He's terrible. He deserved it."

"That he did," I agreed. With an inhale, I continued. "So," I started. "Are you coming to the bonfire tonight?"

"I was planning on it, yes," Stefan responded. "Are you?" he countered.

I nodded at him. "Yeah." I let out a breath. "I think Bonnie and Elena would kill me if I didn't." I chuckled.

Stefan nodded at me. "Well, I guess I'll see you there, then," he responded. I nodded.

"Yeah, yeah," I agreed with a smile. "I'll see you there."

* * *

Nightfall came, sooner than I expected, and the location of the bonfire was crawling with people. Bonnie, Elena, Shelby, and I had all come together, all the while teasing Shelby about her supposed date with the mysterious Salvatore.

"Just admit it, Shelby," Bonnie pressured as they all stood in front of the large fire. Shelby threw her hands up.

"Okay, so…I like him. What's the harm in that?"

"Absolutely nothing," Elena began, raising her cup to symbolize agreement. "He has that…_romance-novel _stare."

Bonnie laughed. "'Stefan looked _deep _into her eyes, piercing her very soul'." Bonnie teased. Shelby, Elena, and I all laughed at it. "So where is he?"

"I don't know." Shelby moved her mouth and looked around. "You tell me," she mumbled.

"You're the psychic one," Elena said, chuckling under her breath as she drank more beer.

"Right," Bonnie said, grinning widely. "I forgot." Shelby smiled and brought her own cup to her mouth to drink. "Okay, so give me a sec. Grams says I have to _concentrate_."

"Wait!" Elena protested. "You need a crystal ball," she demanded.

I snapped my fingers. "You know, Elena, you are _right _on task," I teased, laughing. She laughed in response and I spotted a beer bottle out of the corner of my eye. I grabbed it from the floor and offered it to Bonnie. "Best I've got," I taunted. Bonnie let a laugh escape her lips as she reached out and grabbed the bottle from my hand, but then she tensed, closed her eyes, and snapped them open again.

Within seconds, she pulled her hand away fast, and I looked down at the bottle. "Is something wrong?" I inquired.

"That was weird," she told me. "When I touched you, I saw a crow."

I frowned at her. "A _crow_?" I asked, confused. But then I remembered yesterday: the crow sounds I was hearing. The sound I heard just before I met Damon.

"Yeah." Bonnie nodded. "A crow. There was a man…there was…"

"There was what?" I prompted.

She looked up at me. "Blood." I jerked my head back, confused. Bonnie shook her head. "I'm drunk," she concluded. It's the drinking. There's nothing _psychic _about it." She grabbed the bottle from my hand and I just stared at her. A crow, a man, and blood? What was that supposed to represent. I didn't believe in…supernatural beings, but who just randomly had visions like that? "Yeah? Okay. I'm going to get a refill." Without another word, she left me without so much as a goodbye to Elena or Shelby.

"Well, _that _was weird," Elena said slowly.

"I _totally _think she's a psychic," Shelby whispered. Elena just rolled her eyes.

"I…" I trailed off, losing words to say. What _could _I say?

"Oh, look." Shelby smiled and looked off into the crowd of people, and I looked in her direction. My eyes caught the sight of Stefan. "_Something _Bonnie did worked. I'll see you guys later," she said, turning to Elena and me before walking off to meet Stefan.

"She seems so happy," Elena said once Shelby walked away, leaving me and Elena alone. I nodded.

"She does," I agreed. From the corner of my eye, I could see Caroline wandering around, looking for someone. I sighed. "I'll be back, Elena," I told her. She nodded at me and I left her to talk to Caroline.

"Hey," I began, walking in front of Caroline. Caroline stopped in her steps and just stared at me.

"Hi," she greeted, but began to walk away. I stopped her.

"Caroline—"

"Please move," Caroline said slowly, and I looked up to meet her angry eyes. Though…I could see something behind that wall of anger. Sadness.

"Caroline, _please_," I begged. _"Please _talk to me. I don't want things to be this way between us, I am _so _sorry that I did what I did last year."

"No, you're not, Ana," Caroline whispered. "You always _say _you're sorry, but you never are. And I'm done talking about this."

"But, Caroline, I've _changed, _okay?" I said, blocking her from leaving when she tried to again. Caroline let out an annoyed breath. "I'm asking for another chance, Caroline, I feel…_terrible _about making you upset, and none of it was worth it. After my dad died, I realized how important everyone was – and that includes you."

Caroline was quiet for a moment, which was a sheer surprise. "I…" she trailed off.

"I'm not asking for you to just forget about what happened," I tried, and she sighed at me, but this time it wasn't annoyed. "I would never ask that, I…" I trailed off before I took in a deep breath. "I'm just asking for a second chance. You're one of my best friends, Caroline, I don't want us to stop being friends because of this."

Caroline let out a large breath, full of alcohol. Dear God, I hoped she wasn't drunk. I didn't want to have to explain to her that we were friends again in the morning if she decided to forgive me.

"All right," she said slowly, but then cleared her throat. "But it doesn't mean I forgive you I just…" I smiled at her. "We're on _probation,_" she decided.

I shrugged. "That's good enough for me."

An hour later, after Caroline, Elena, and I ended up hanging out together, Shelby and Stefan appeared, back from their mystery walk. She smiled at him and walked off in another direction, and Stefan continued his way towards us. Caroline took headway and walked up to him as fast as she could before anyone else could get to him. I watched them as they talked for a moment, and then Stefan walked away, towards me and Elena. Elena sighed, realizing that Caroline was most likely shot down.

"I'll go check on her," Elena began, and I nodded in response. Stefan walked up to me and put his hands in his pockets.

"What was that about?" I asked, giving him a greeting smile.

Stefan sighed. "Oh…nothing important," he promised me. "Caroline just…had a lot to drink."

I laughed a little. "Yeah, that's Caroline for you." I shrugged. "Well, you're new. Mysterious. She'll get over it," I tried.

"Mysterious?" he questioned. I frowned at him.

"Of course," I teased. "The new guy in town? Are you kidding? People don't just _come _to this town anymore unless they feel like being secluded from the rest of the world."

Stefan nodded slowly before he spoke. "Well, you have that whole mysterious thing going, too," he said. I raised my eyebrows. "Twinged in sadness and all that."

I let out a no-smile laugh. "And what on Earth would make you think that?"

"I don't know." He exhaled and put his hands in his pockets. "Something about you just…you just seem like you're trying to change a lot. Like you're bending for everyone else." Stefan looked at me curiously. "Why is that?"

I took in a deep, shaky inhale. "I don't think it's really a good conversation to have at a party," I admitted.

Stefan shrugged. "I've never been good at regular 'party' conversation," he returned. I sighed at him and looked to the ground before looking back up.

"You're persistent," I commented. Stefan smiled and I inhaled to start the story. "Last spring, my dad's car drove off of a bridge and into the lake," I told him. Stefan was silent. "I was in the front with him and _I _survived, but…he didn't." I hung my head. "And…I think my mom blames me for it, a little. Not that I would know because she's not home half the time." I let out a sorrowful laugh, but Stefan didn't smile and didn't frown. "I was always closer to my dad than my mom and now…he's gone." I looked back up at Stefan to find him staring at me, but I knew it wasn't in that way that most teenagers thought it would be. It was…caring. Like he was listening to everything I said, and not because he liked me in _that _way. As a friend.

A good friend.

"I'm sorry," I stammered. "To be fair, I warned you."

He let a small smile onto his face. "Yes, you did," he agreed. I smiled up at him, but he turned his into a serious look. "But, you won't be sad forever, Ana," he promised me.

"Two cold beers, as promised," Shelby sung as she walked up to me and Stefan with a slaphappy smile on her face. I smiled at her and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "Oh, sorry, Ana, I thought you were with Elena. Do you want me to go and grab you one…?"

"No, no, no," I said, holding up my hands in protest. "Don't. I was actually just going to find Elena, she went off with Caroline somewhere." I smiled at my best friend and looked at Stefan. "Thanks," I said to him. He nodded at me.

"Anytime."

Before I could even take a step in the other direction, there was a shout. "_Somebody help_!" I barely recognized at first that it was Elena's voice.

I looked over to see Elena emerging from the forest, looking at something. Jeremy Gilbert emerged from the forest as well, carrying someone. I looked at Shelby, who looked at me alarmingly, and we both moved into the crowd to see what happened.

It was Vicki Donovan, Matt's sister.

"Vicki?" Matt called out. "Vicki, what the hell?" he screamed.

"What happened?" Tyler Lockwood emerged in the scene.

"Somebody! Call an ambulance!" Matt shouted. With shaking fingers, Shelby pulled out her phone and began to dial the standard nine one-one number for help. I put my hand over my mouth in shock. Tyler pushed everyone back, as everyone was crowding around Vicki.

"Everybody back up!" he demanded. "Give her space."

"It's her neck," Elena cried. "Something bit her. She's losing a lot of blood. Fast."

"Vicki, come on, open your eyes, look at me," Matt said quietly, but it was loud enough for me to hear.

And the yelling and shouting continued on until Shelby announced that the ambulance was on its way, and they came to bring Vicki to the hospital. I watched as Matt climbed into the ambulance truck with Vicki and the police was questioning Elena.

"Hey," Bonnie said, making me turn around. "We're gong to go mainline coffee and wait for news," she informed me. I nodded at her and looked over at Shelby, who was talking to a police officer as well.

"Shelby's parents are coming to get her and they're going to take me home. My mom's not answering her phone," I informed her. Bonnie nodded, but then began.

"Ana," she started. "There's no way I'm psychic. I know that." I raised my eyebrows at her. "But whatever I saw, or think I saw, I have this feeling…" she trailed off.

"What is it?" I asked, mainly curious.

"That it's just the beginning."

* * *

**So what did you all think of it? Yes, no, maybe so? Oh, God, don't you just love Paul Wesley? **

**Please make sure to drop a comment and tell me what you thought of it. Feedback is always appreciated :) **

**I'll update ASAP.**

_**Love, **_

_**BellaSalvatore1918**_

_**X**_


	2. Night of the Comet

**Hey, everyone. Back with a new chapter. Ugh. These first six episodes are so terrible, I don't even know how to begin explaining. **

**THANK YOU for the reviews last chapter :) Make sure to leave one at the end of this chapter telling me what you think. **

**All right. So, this chapter is a little complicated. Obviously we won't figure out about what Anastasia's deal is quite yet (obviously not until the sixth episode when Stefan explains everything, that's not going to change). But for the next few chapters, it will seem like this "Elizabeth" character had something going on with Stefan, and it will repeat itself in Stefan and Anastasia's relationship. And, yes, I have tagged the characters as a Damon, OC, and Stefan story, but as you can see from the pairing blocks that Stefan's on the outside. It doesn't mean that he's in a love triangle with them (That will be another OC that comes in during future chapters). But I just want to make things clear: There will be ****_no _****romantic interests that will take place with Stefan and Anastasia. Normally I have some back-burner interest with Stefan because I really like my characters to be associated with him in the friendship/more-than-friends kind of way, but it won't be like that in this one. Stefan's completely Anastasia romance-free. **

**I'm not denying that there will be a love triangle though, that's completely a given. It might not be as intense as the "brother" love triangle, but it's a triangle nonetheless. We'll just have to wait and see how that unfolds :) **

**Anyways, enjoy the chapter. Sorry if it's not interesting, I promise it will pick up soon enough. **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot.**

* * *

**Night of the Comet**

If Bonnie's intent last night was to freak me out, it was working.

For the entire night, I stayed up, tossing and turning from Bonnie's prediction. I didn't…believe in that stuff – psychics and the supernatural bunch. But something in her eyes made me believe it. She was so…_serious _about it. Like she was afraid.

Which automatically made _me _afraid.

After I showered and dressed in the morning, I walked downstairs to see my mom, sipping her morning coffee, watching the news. I expected her to just pretend like I wasn't there – like she always did, but she surprised me by turning off the television and looking at me pointedly while I set the milk on the counter.

"You went to the bonfire last night, didn't you?" she asked, her voice stern. I raised my eyebrows as my body turned and I grabbed a bowl from the kitchen cabinet.

"Yes," I said, turning and putting the bowl back on the counter. "Why?"

"You didn't think to tell me where you were going?"

"You weren't home," I said simply. Why was she acting this way?

"That doesn't mean you can just do whatever you want, Anastasia," my mother snapped. I flinched. She sighed at me. "I'm sorry, I just…" My mother sighed once more. "You saw what happened to Vicki. That could've happened to anyone – even you. I'm just worried."

"I'm fine," I assured her, grabbing the cereal box and opening it to begin making my breakfast. When did I become such an important aspect in her life for her to begin _worrying _about me? "You don't have a reason to worry, I'm fine," I repeated.

"Mmhm," my mother mumbled under her breath. "Then you can start texting me to tell me where you're going the next time you go out," she suggested, but I realized that I didn't have much of a say in it.

Things with my mother before the accident and after the accident hadn't changed. She was still distant towards me, yet still holding me on a tight leash. I snuck out every night, but after the first couple times, she stopped asking – and I knew it was because she knew exactly where I went. That was the thing with my mom. She needed to know where I was. But I couldn't very well tell her that I was out at college parties drinking and…_exploring _with college men when I was sixteen, could I?

With nothing more, she gripped her coffee in her hands and walked to the living room to resume watching the morning news before she went to work.

* * *

"Originally discovered nearly five centuries ago, it hasn't been over Mystic Falls in over a hundred and forty five years." Tanner paused in between his sentences. I was beginning to fall asleep again. "Now, the comet will be its brightest right after dusk during tomorrow's celebration. Are we bothering you?" I quickly snapped my eyes open to make sure that Tanner wasn't talking to me, and I sighed in relief when I found out that he wasn't. Instead, he was looking at Shelby and Stefan, whose heads were turned at each other, and I blinked in surprise. "Mister Salvatore," Tanner said, and Stefan turned his head at last to see the teacher. Tanner turned to my best friend. "Miss Matthews."

Shelby just shook her head, and I bit back a laugh. I could see the corners of her lips turn up as the bell rang, dismissing us from class. I quickly gathered my things and walked over to her.

"I see someone wasn't paying attention in class," I said under my breath. Shelby slipped on her jacket and began to gather her books. Whispering, I continued. "It doesn't happen to have anything to do with the mysterious Stefan Salvatore, does it?" I teased her.

Shelby hung her head. "Maybe just a little…" she played along, and I grinned at her as we walked to the door. But Stefan joined us, and I had no objections to it whatsoever.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi," Shelby greeted back, a wide smile on her face. Stefan's glance turned towards me and I smiled at him as we all walked out into the hallway.

"Oh, by the way," Stefan began, reaching into his bag to pull out a book. "I brought it," he said, extending the book to her. Shelby's breath inclined. "I told you."

Shelby grabbed the book from his hand. "Wuthering Heights by Ellis Bell," she read across the front. "You know, I wonder why she didn't use her real name," she voiced.

"Um, all the Brontë sisters used pseudonyms," Stefan informed us.

"Beauty _and _brains," I said, gasping tauntingly. Stefan laughed. "You're like a walking encyclopedia of facts."

"Well, it was the time," he continued. "Female writers weren't very accepted then."

"Maybe if she used her real name, female writers would have _become _accepted," Shelby theorized.

"Where'd you get it?" I asked Stefan, curious.

"Uh…" he trailed off. "It was passed down through the family," Stefan explained. I nodded my head in response. Stefan turned to Shelby. "You should keep it," he suggested. She looked up at him and opened her mouth.

"Stefan—"

"I have lots of books," he told her, cutting her off. "Go ahead."

"I couldn't," Shelby began, but she bit her lip. "But I _kind _of want to read it again…if you don't mind."

"Not at all," he promised her.

"Thank you," she said with a large grin. Stefan smiled at her. Shelby turned her body so that she could look back and forth between Stefan and me. "I'll see you both later," she parted. Stefan and I nodded while we watched Shelby walk away and disappear down the hall to go to her next class. Stefan and I, on the other hand, had our next class together.

"So how was your night last night?" I asked, hiding a smile from him. Stefan laughed.

"Shelby told you, didn't she?"

"She might've texted me once or twice, you know." I immediately looked up at him. "But _don't _tell her that I told you that," I said firmly.

Stefan chuckled. "Okay. I promise," he agreed.

I gave him an approving look. "I _like _you," I determined. He smiled at me. "I see the start of a beautiful friendship, Stefan."

Stefan grinned at me and we walked into our next class together.

* * *

After the school day ended, Matt and I met up, where I asked him about Vicki. He seemed tired and a little out of it, but it was entirely understandable. I listened while he told me about his sister and the condition that she was in.

"They're keeping her overnight to make sure there's no infection, but she should be able to come home tomorrow," he informed me.

"That's great, at least she's coming home," I tried. I was grateful that I had Matt as a friend. I tried to kiss him once in eighth grade, but he'd made himself pretty clear. At first, I was a little embarrassed that I was rejected, but Matt has become my oldest guy friend. Someone who watched out for me when I went under.

"Yeah."

"Did you get in touch with your mom?"

"Called and left a message." Matt sighed. "She's in Virginia Beach with her boyfriend, so..." Matt paused to exhale again. "We'll see how long it takes before she comes rushing home."

"Your mom will come back eventually," I tried to make him feel better. "For now, all you can do is realize how lucky she is to be okay."

"I know. And now there's talk of some missing campers."

"What?" I asked. When did this happen?

"Yeah," he returned. "Apparently a couple went camping and they're completely MIA. It's strange."

I bit my lip. That _was _strange. Lately, everything was strange. I inhaled. "Did Vicki say what kind of animal it was that attacked her?" I inquired.

"She said it was a vampire," Matt responded.

I let my jaw slack slightly. "What?"

"Yeah. She wakes up last night, mutters, 'Vampire', and passes out." I couldn't refrain myself from shaking my head in disbelief.

"That's…a little hard to believe," I said, laughing in the slightest.

Matt shrugged. "I think she was drunk," he admitted. He looked at me for a moment and moved on from the topic at hand. "Hey, uh…are you and Caroline okay now?" he asked me.

I exhaled largely. "I don't think we're _okay_, per say, but we're…getting there," I told him with another sigh. "She's still pretty upset with me."

"Why did you do it, Ana?" he asked, letting out a deep breath. "Maybe if you hadn't…" I was quiet for a moment. "No, I didn't mean—"

"No, no," I said, stopping him. "You're right, Matt," I let out a sigh. "If I hadn't gone to that party that night and got in that fight with Caroline, I would never have asked my dad for a ride home and he'd still be here today." Matt looked at me with sympathetic eyes. "And I'm trying to do whatever I can to prevent anyone else from dying at my hands."

"Ana," he began. "I didn't mean to say that. I'm all for you changing and everything, just…" Matt trailed off. "Don't lose yourself." I looked at him and raised my eyebrows, indicating for him to clarify. "None of us…_minded _the old you, otherwise we wouldn't be friends with you," he clarified.

I nodded at him. "But it doesn't change the fact that I still want to change," I said.

"I'm not saying that you shouldn't," he argued and reached out to grab my shoulder gently. "Just…don't lose yourself, okay? Promise me." Matt gave me one of his dazzling, blue-eyed smiles. And how on Earth was I supposed to say no to that?

"I promise."

* * *

"Well," Bonnie started. "I was talking to Grams and _she _said the comet is a sign of impending doom," she informed us all as we made programs for tomorrow night's festival. "Last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity."

Caroline rolled her eyes as she kept her head tilted down. "Mm. Yeah. And then you poured Grams another shot and she told you about the aliens," Caroline quipped, snarky, as she looked at Bonnie pointedly.

"Don't knock the aliens," Shelby argued, her voice in a higher pitch. Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, and I looked over at her and each of us raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What? They're people too."

"Please tell me you're joking," said Elena.

Shelby just rolled her eyes and didn't answer the question. "So then what?" Caroline began, looking hard at Shelby. Shelby raised her eyebrow.

"About the aliens, or…?"

"Oh, quit it with the damn aliens," Caroline snapped. Well, that was a little harsh. "You and Stefan just _talked _all night?" she prompted.

"No, we went outside to watch the aliens."

"Shelby!"

Shelby chuckled. "What? Alien gazing is romantic."

Caroline rolled her eyes at our friend. "There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy-feely of _any _kind?" she pushed.

Shelby sighed. "No. We didn't go there."

"Not even a handshake?" Shelby was quiet. "Shelby! We're your friends, okay? You're _supposed _to share the smut!"

Shelby exhaled. "We just talked for _hours_," she defended. "There was nothing…like that. He was sweet and it was completely platonic."

Caroline groaned. "Okay, what is with the blockage?" she demanded. "Just…_jump his bones _already!" Bonnie widened her eyes in response. "Okay, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy; sex."

Shelby rolled her eyes. "Does _everything _come back to sex?" She looked at all of us at the table and stopped for a moment. "Okay, _yeah_. Fine. Everything does come back to sex. But I, on the other hand, would just like to go alien-watching with him." She smiled and Caroline just gave a frustrated groan.

"I hate to admit it," Elena began, leaning forward. "But Caroline's right." She paused. "I mean…it doesn't have to be that _profound, _but…you didn't even kiss, Shelby." Shelby stayed silent. "You should at _least _try that."

Caroline made a sound of detest. "No. No first kiss that makes everything awkward and just slows everything down. Sex is better. Have sex with him." All of a sudden, Caroline turned to me. "Come on, Ana, back me up."

I looked at Shelby, alarmed, as she looked at me. Elena stared at me, expecting me to take her side. I cleared my throat.

"You should do what you feel is right," I said at last. Caroline just rolled her eyes again. "And if having sex with Stefan is what you want, then go for it. But if you want to take it slow, just take it slow." I paused. "You should probably ask him though. I mean, after all, it's a two-way street."

"I miss the old you," Caroline whined.

"No, you don't." I laughed bitterly and reached forward to drink the soda that I had ordered. "Let's be honest here, none of us do."

Things were quiet for a second before Shelby got up from her chair and walked around it, pushing it back in. "Where are you going?" Bonnie asked, confused.

"Ana's right," Shelby determined, looking at me once. "I should talk to him and see how he feels. After all, he could want to go alien-watching too." She smiled at us and disappeared down the street to go to Stefan's house presumably.

"At least _someone's _getting some action here," Caroline mumbled under her breath.

Bonnie groaned. "_Please _don't tell me you're going to bring that guy up again."

"What guy?" I inquired, confused. Caroline gave a warning glance to Bonnie, and I didn't miss it. I waited for her answer.

Caroline sighed. "No one," she said at last. "I mean…it was no big deal. I don't even know his name. I saw him at the bar last night after Bonnie and I went to get coffee after the bonfire," she explained.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked. This was the kind of thing Caroline and I talked about – guys. Well, that was before the accident. But things like that didn't have to change because I was giving up sex until further notice. It's not like I was different – I was just trying to be a little kinder to the people around me. Why was everyone acting like I was a completely different person?

"Like I said, it was no big deal." She flashed me a false smile before she got up from her chair. "I'm going to go to the ladies' room," Caroline announced as she turned and went inside of the Grill to use the restroom.

I turned to Bonnie and Elena and sighed. "So, since I'm obviously not getting any details out of her, what's the deal with this guy?" I asked.

Elena shrugged. "I don't know. She was talking about him this morning," she offered. "Tall, dark, handsome. Wore all black in a leather jacket. _Unbelievably sexy_," she mocked.

"Speaking of," Bonnie said with an inhale as she turned to Elena. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

I filled in for Bonnie. "What? No mystery guy in your life, Elena?" I asked with a smile. I leaned back in my chair and she sighed.

"No. I mean…I don't know. I'm still kind of wavering with Matt, you know?"

"Do you want to get back together with him?" Bonnie asked.

Elena bit her lip and smiled. "Yeah," she admitted. "I mean…I _think _I do. But I hurt him last summer and I really don't want to bring it up again, especially with everything that's going on with Vicki."

"Yeah, did you hear about that?" I asked, moving on from the other topic. Bonnie and Elena showed signs of confusion, so I continued. Elena picked up her glass and began to drink her water. "Apparently, Vicki woke up last night and said that a vampire attacked her."

Elena's water almost went across the patio of the Grill's outside setting. She wiped her mouth and looked at me. "What?" she asked in disbelief.

I shrugged. "Yeah. It's really crazy."

Caroline sighed as she came back from the restroom. She looked at all of us and smiled widely.

"So, what'd I miss?"

* * *

"Night of the Comet!" The four of us – Elena, Bonnie, Shelby, and I – shouted gently as we passed out programs regarding the festival to enjoy the comet that was passing. Elena and Bonnie broke off by themselves as Shelby and I continued down the path, passing out the programs.

When the rush broke, we continued down the path and continued our conversation. "He didn't call you?" I asked. Apparently, Stefan was rude beyond fathom to her after she met his brother.

"Or text," Shelby pointed out as she extended a program to someone. "But we didn't even exchange that stuff so that was kind of impossible," she quipped bitterly.

"I'm still a little confused about what happened," I admitted. She sighed. "His brother just showed up out of nowhere?"

"Yep."

"And Stefan got all tense?"

"Yep."

"It sounds like he has some _major _family issues to me," I said, extending a program for someone to take. Shelby sighed.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I just…you know, it's all just too hard. I've never really _liked _someone like this. And it's been years since I even thought of someone the way I think about Stefan." I stayed quiet as she exhaled. "Maybe it's just too much."

"What if it's not?" I questioned, stopping her in our path.

"What do you mean?"

"You always find a way to ruin every relationship you've ever had," I answered.

"That's not true!" she protested.

I frowned at her. "Michael?"

"He was moving halfway across the country."

"Parker?"

"He was too patriotic."

I scoffed. "What about Luke?"

"That's not fair, he cried over _everything_," she protested.

"Desmond?" I continued.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Shelby sighed. "No, I don't have a good reason for him. I just didn't like him."

"See?" I prompted. "Every guy you've ever dated has _something _wrong with them." She let out a deep breath. "Don't let yourself do it with Stefan, he's a _good _guy."

Shelby took a moment but eventually nodded and inhaled. "What would I do without you, Ana?"

"Crash and burn," I suggested and smiled. But then, something caught my sight and I automatically repeated what was inside my mind. "Damon?" I asked, confused at the sight that was before me. Damon was standing not ten feet away, staring at me, and I felt myself shift uncomfortably.

Shelby raised her eyebrows at me. "How do you know Stefan's brother?" she asked. I looked up at her.

"Stefan's brother?" I inquired, confused. "Stefan has a brother named _Damon_?"

"Indeed he does," someone interrupted, making me jump slightly. I couldn't tell whether Shelby got scared or not. Damon stood in front of us, a large smile on his face, his arms crossed behind his back. "Stefan has been keeping all _kinds _of joyful secrets." He grinned widely and turned his head at Shelby. "Shelby," he greeted, then turned his head towards me and let his gaze linger for an extra moment. "Anastasia."

I was quiet for a moment. "Ana," I corrected him. "Please," I added.

"Ana," he corrected himself. Shelby looked back and forth at Damon and me.

"Okay, well, I'm going to go pass out more programs," she announced with a grin. I looked at the ground and tried to not become embarrassed by her exit while she left.

"So you're Stefan's brother," I said as we began to walk down the path in the town square. Damon put his hands in his pockets and nodded.

"Well, more or less," he admitted. "Stefan isn't very fond of me…I don't come around too often."

"That's too bad," I said, but I really didn't know what else to say. So, I decided to do some fishing for Shelby. She had told me how Stefan had dated this girl, Katherine, and she had apparently learned the piece of information from Damon. "Shelby told me about what you said today," I started, handing out a program while we walked.

"Oh, she did?"

"Yes," I responded. "Katherine was her name, right?"

Damon opened his mouth and a strained sound came out before he spoke. "Oh. Yes. That's who you were talking about."

I laughed slightly. "Who did you think I was talking about?" I questioned.

"Elizabeth," Damon filled in. I raised my eyebrows. "Stefan was her friend – though it wouldn't surprise me if they were romantically involved somehow."

"So you don't _actually _know if Elizabeth was his ex?"

Damon sighed. "Well, that's the complicated thing." He let out a deep breath and pulled us to a stop by walking in front of me. "She wasn't really Stefan's ex, she was mine." Damon smiled at me.

I crossed my arms over my chest and furrowed my eyebrows. "I'm still not understanding what this has to do with Shelby. History rarely repeats itself," I noted.

Damon let out a small laugh and looked to the ground before he looked back up. "Stefan was the _smaller _rock caught in a very hard place," he explained.

"I'm not really one for metaphors, Damon," I told him.

Damon laughed again. "Let's just put it this way," he said at last. "She was in love with me, but she was also in love with someone else." He eyed me strangely, and I got the feeling that he wasn't talking about this Elizabeth girl. But why I got that feeling was unknown to me. "Stefan got caught in the middle of it. It didn't end well for anyone."

I looked at him for a moment. "Well, I'm sorry," I said at last.

Damon waved his hand. "I wouldn't be," he said finally and let his eyes wander in a different direction. I looked towards where he was looking to see his eyes fully lined up with Caroline, and I just let a small laugh escape my lips. Of course.

"Her name is Caroline," I said, turning back to him. Damon looked down at me.

"Pardon me?"

"Caroline Forbes," I told him, and he raised his eyebrows. "The girl you were looking at. She's my friend, Caroline," I clarified. Damon still didn't understand why I was telling him this, but I realized soon enough that he was wearing all dark clothing and a leather jacket. Maybe _he _was the guy from the Grill.

It wouldn't surprise me.

"You were the guy at the Grill last night, weren't you?" I asked him, mainly curious. He smiled at me, but I saw through the veil. I was right.

"What are you talking about?"

"You should talk to her," I said eventually, my throat dry. "But, as for me, I'll be going now." I brushed past him and walked away, but I couldn't tell if he looked back at me or not.

What did it matter? Caroline could have him. I was done with these games.

* * *

I walked through the sea of endless people, an unlit candle in my hand, waiting for someone to light mine as a symbol. Of what – I had no idea. But it was a tradition, so I went with it. From the corner of my eye, I saw Matt and Elena greeting each other, and he lit her unlit candle, and they looked up at each other and smiled. I smiled at them – it was nice to see Elena back with him. For the time being, at least.

"Oof," I said as I bumped into something. "Sorry." I looked up to see Damon's bright blue eyes staring at me, and his candle right on top of mine, lighting the wick. I looked down at it and stepped away from his body, but he didn't move an inch. "Thanks," I said at last.

"You're welcome," he said cheerfully. I walked away from him, over to an empty patch of grass, as I looked up at the sky to see the comet, moving slowly across the sky.

I barely felt his presence as he walked up to me. When he said nothing, I started. "Tell me something?"

"Hmm?"

"Were you the guy at the Grill?" I asked, turning to him. He turned his head to me. "With Caroline?"

Damon opened his mouth to respond, but I could see him hesitate for a moment. "Yes," he said eventually. "I was."

I felt myself waver for a moment before I looked back to see Caroline – thankfully not noticing us. She was talking to Matt and Elena, smiling with them, oblivious to me with Damon. I turned back to him and let my breath quiver for a moment. "I _really _shouldn't be talking to you," I told him.

He tilted his head at me. "And why's that?" he prompted.

I thought back to Caroline's face after Bonnie told me about her mystery guy. "Caroline has a thing for you and…she wouldn't appreciate it much if I took that from her."

Damon parted his lips and looked at me intensely. "Why?" he asked.

"It's a long story."

"Does it look like I have anywhere else to be tonight."

I frowned at him. "Yeah," I responded. He frowned in response. "I mean…kind of. You seem like the type of guy who has a lot of unfinished business."

"Yes, well, I do," he agreed and stared at me. "With you, Ana. Tell me." I sighed at him.

"Long story short," I breathed out, "I stole her boyfriend from her a while ago. And, frankly, Caroline hasn't really gotten over it."

Damon waved his hand at me. "We all have that…uh…" He paused for a moment. "_Darkness_ inside of us, per say," he finished.

"I certainly did," I agreed and looked back up at the comet.

"Did?" Damon pushed.

"That's another long story that I'm not really open to blurt out to the first stranger I see in the town square," I said, snapping in just the slightest. Damon didn't take offense.

"Noted," he agreed. I looked back at him to catch him staring at me, and then someone interrupted us.

"Damon." I looked over to see Stefan beside me, making his way closer with an unlit candle.

"Stefan," I greeted, giving him a small smile. "Shelby's probably looking for you, you know."

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I know," Stefan said awkwardly. "She…uh...we talked," he said at last. I looked at him in confusion, but he looked over to me and at his brother. "What are you doing here, Damon?"

"Catching up with your friend, here, Stef," Damon said lightly. I looked back at Damon, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "She's _very _entertaining."

"Hmm," Stefan hummed, then things were quiet. I didn't like being in the middle of a brother stare down.

"I'm going to go," I said at last, looking at the brothers one more time before leaving the premises, practically inhaling the coldness that I was receiving from the two of them.

There were definitely major issues in Stefan's family.

* * *

An hour later, after everything went down in the town square between my conversations with Damon and Stefan's interruption, I was by the pool table, playing a round with Tyler Lockwood after Vicki Donovan returned safely from her outing that ripped open her stitches.

"Two out of three?" I challenged with a frown as Tyler won the first round of pool we played. Tyler smiled at me once before shaking his head.

"I've got to call it quits, Ana," he said, grabbing his jacket. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I sighed. "Bye." But, seconds after Tyler left, Bonnie came up to me as I was sharpening my cue with the blue chalk. She came up to me, shaken.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"It's…Stefan," she said at last, shaking her head. "I had this…_weird _feeling with him when I touched him."

I rolled my eyes. "Please tell me this isn't one of your premonitions. Those things creep me out."

"I'm serious, Ana," Bonnie barked, and I flinched. When did Bonnie get so abrasive.

"I-I'm sorry," I stuttered. I felt a hole in my stomach. Was I turning back into the selfish person that I was before? I was trying so hard. I didn't want to fall through the cracks.

Bonnie sighed. "No, Ana, I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"No, Bonnie, it's okay." I put my cue stick up and walked around the table. "I've got to go anyway."

"Ana—" She reached out to grab my arm, and when she did, she froze. I looked back at her, confused.

"Bonnie?" I asked her, looking at her crazed eyes. She stood there for a moment before responding.

"The end is near for you, Anastasia," she said lowly. I blinked at her and she pulled her hand away at last with quick reflexes. I stared at her while she recovered, and she shook her head vigorously.

"No," Bonnie whispered before exiting, just as I called out her name. But it was too late. Bonnie was already gone.

And I was freaked out ten times more than I was the night of the bonfire.

_The end is near._

* * *

**Oh, Bonnie with those visions. Poor Anastasia, she won't be getting much sleep. **

**As for me, I'm off to bed! Goodnight, everyone, and please make sure to drop a comment and tell me what you thought about the chapter. Next one up is Friday Night Bites...**

_**Love, **_

**_BellaSalvatore1918_**

**_X_**


	3. Friday Night Bites

**Longest chapter in history, I swear. This chapter is always long for some reason, I have no idea why. Well, maybe because Elena was in almost _every _scene. **

**So I'm not going to put in a long-ass A/N to make this chapter even longer so just...tell me what you think at the end of the chapter please.**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**Friday Night Bites**

"Listen," Bonnie began as she stepped out of the car and spoke to Shelby, who got out on my side with me; though she sat in the back. Elena got out of the car as well, but on Bonnie's side. "I'm not saying don't date the guy, I'm just saying take it slow."

"Didn't you tell me to go for it?" Shelby inquired.

"No, that was Caroline," Bonnie responded. "Regardless, _I'm _telling you to take it slow. Like Elena did," Bonnie added, and Elena puckered her lips and frowned.

"Oh, no, Bonnie Bennett. You will _not _bring me into the middle of that," she demanded. Bonnie rolled her eyes.

Shelby groaned and rubbed her head. "_So _many mixed emotions!" she shouted, but Bonnie wasn't amused. I, on the other hand, was quite amused, though I was still shaken from the other night. Bonnie frowned and Shelby continued. "Oh, come on, Bonnie. I'm kidding. Why do you want me to take it slow with Stefan, I like how we're going right now," she argued.

"There are just so many other options out there, Shelby, you should try and see if you want anyone else before you go for this guy. It's the perfect time to play the field."

"But I've _tried _to like all the other guys in this school," she complained. "I just don't like them. Stefan's different."

"I'm sure he is," Bonnie mumbled under her breath. Shelby grabbed Bonnie's arm and we all came to a stop in the grass as we tried to make our way to the building.

"Bonnie," Shelby warned. "What are you not telling me?"

"It's stupid."

"What's stupid."

I knew the answer, but I decided not to say anything. With a sigh, Bonnie began. "I accidentally touched Stefan and I got a really bad feeling," she said finally.

Shelby paused. "You mean…one of those _supernatural _feelings?" Bonnie began to walk away, but Shelby pulled her back again. "Bonnie, come on, you know I'm kidding."

"It was _bad, _bad!"

"Look, I know that I _say _I believe in all of this stuff, but…I mean, _seriously. _What are the odds that Stefan is '_bad_, bad'?" Shelby challenged.

Bonnie sighed. "You know what? I'm just concerned." Shelby was silent. "This is me expressing concern about my friend's new boyfriend."

"I appreciate it," Shelby tried. "I really, _really _do, but it's been a _really _long time since I haven't found something wrong with one of my boyfriends." Her eyes flickered to me. "As Little Miss Ana pointed out to me yesterday," she teased.

I held up my hands in protest. "I was just telling the truth."

Shelby looked back at Bonnie. "See? I haven't felt this good in a really long time, Bonnie, let's just see how everything goes," she suggested. Bonnie gave an exasperated sigh before we continued walking towards the school, just to meet up with Stefan gain.

"Morning Shelby," Stefan said while he walked up to us. "Bonnie. Elena. Ana," he said, nodding his head towards us as a greeting. Well _he _was extremely chipper. Both of them were.

Bonnie didn't even spend another second with us. "Hey, um, I gotta find Caroline," she said, turning to Elena without responding to Stefan's greeting. "She's not answering her phone, so…see you guys." Without another word, she walked off.

"Bonnie, wait," Shelby protested, but Bonnie left without another hesitation.

Elena sighed. "I've got this," she said before heading out after Bonnie to talk with her, just leaving Shelby and I alone with Stefan. Stefan looked at us.

"Bonnie doesn't…like me…very much, does she?"

I shrugged. "She doesn't know you. She'll warm up sooner or later."

"Are you kidding me?" Shelby voiced. "When Bonnie sets her mind straight on something, she never budges. _Ever_." Shelby took in a deep, exhausted breath before she continued, snapping her fingers. "I know what to do!"

I sighed. "_Please _don't say go alien-watching."

Shelby frowned at me. "No, I wasn't going to say that." She paused and I waited for her to continue. Her obsession with aliens has been constance since the fifth grade when she thought she saw a UFO. I, on the other hand, was highly doubtful that _other life forms _were able to reach our planet yet. How were we to know if they are more advanced than us? "I was going to say we should go alien-_gazing_."

"Oh, _God_." I sighed.

Stefan raised his eyebrows. "Alien…_gazing_?" he said slowly.

I took in a deep breath. "Long story." Stefan nodded.

Shelby began, "No, but in all seriousness, I _do _have an idea. Anastasia, is your mom going to be home tonight?" she asked me.

I grimaced. "Why would she?" I muttered. Shelby waited for my actual response. "No. I don't think she will."

"Good. Do you mind if we use your house tonight for my idea?"

I thought about it for just a moment. "No. I'm okay with it. Why?"

She looked at Stefan and completely ignored my question. "Are you free tonight?"

I nodded at her and Stefan took a moment for himself before he nodded and smiled at her. "Yes." I thought it was adorable.

"Good." She paused to smile and look back and forth between Stefan and me. "Dinner at Ana's house. Eight o'clock," she demanded. "You"—She pointed at me—"You"—She turned to Stefan and pointed at him. "Me, Bonnie, and possibly Elena if she's free. We will all spend some time together and Bonnie will realize what a _great _person you are." Shelby grinned at Stefan widely, and he returned the intensity of the smile, and I watched them. Honestly, I was happy for them. Just because I didn't have a boyfriend didn't mean Shelby couldn't.

And – all too quickly for my eyes – something…_strange _happened. I was knocked out of the way, more towards Shelby, and she helped me from my stumble. Stefan was standing in front of us, a football firmly in his hand, staring at Tyler Lockwood, who was looking at Stefan surprisingly. I let a small laugh escape my lips. Sure, I knew that Tyler didn't like Stefan very much, and it didn't surprise me that Tyler pulled that move on him. But I was sure he didn't anticipate Stefan catching the ball effortlessly, all the while knocking me out of the way.

With a hesitation, Stefan drew his arm back and threw the football, and Tyler caught it with a blowback. I laughed just as the bell rang, and Shelby turned to us.

"I'll meet you guys in History," she told us with a sigh. "I have to go tell Caroline that I'm going to be at practice today. I thought that I couldn't go, but I can." She leaned forward and her and Stefan kissed for a moment. "I'll see you later."

Stefan nodded, and I said my farewell to her. After she left, Stefan and I continued up the hill and walked into the hallway of Mystic Falls High School.

"You know, you can really throw a football," I praised. "Do you play?"

"I used to," Stefan responded. "It was a long time ago."

I frowned. "So?" I prompted as we walked down the hallway together. "You should try out for the team."

"Yeah…" Stefan began, dragging out the word. "I don't think so."

"What? Why not?" I asked, confused. "Do you not like football or something?" I pulled us to a stop in front of my locker to get something out of it before class.

"No, I love football," he returned, leaning against the wall that connected the locker. "I think it's a great sport. But, in this case, I don't think football likes me."

I grimaced. "Oh, because the football has feelings, doesn't it?"

Stefan chuckled. "No, I meant…I don't think the players like me. I know Tyler isn't very fond of me and…well, Matt has some issues with me dating Shelby and being friends with you."

I shrugged. "He's just trying to look out for us," I reasoned. "Matt's a _really _good guy. I've been friends with him since the third grade and Shelby has been friends with him since the fourth when she came into town." I sighed. "As for Tyler, he's just a threatened. You know, social status and everything."

"Is this all supposed to be a pep talk to join the team?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Because it's not working."

I groaned. "Stefan, they just don't know you. To them, you're the new, mysterious, loner guy who just came into town. Maybe you could try to make some friends or something, that wouldn't hurt, would it? Maybe if you showed Tyler that you don't mean to threaten him, he'll back off."

He gave me a weak smile. "But why would I want to be friends with anyone but you, Ana?" he questioned teasingly as I shut my locker and rolled my eyes as we continued down the hallway to walk to class.

"World War II ended in…?" Mr. Tanner trailed off, prompting a student. "Anyone got anything?" He looked around the room. "Miss Juan?" A girl in the corner of our class just shrugged. Tanner sighed. "Nineteen forty-five," he answered for her. I tuned his voice out and turned to look at Stefan.

"Did I tell you that our team sucks and could use you?" I whispered to him. Stefan leaned towards me.

"Can't," he whispered back. "I'm a _loner_."

I just laughed, but then I heard my name. "Miss Miller?" I turned back to Tanner, who was just staring at me.

"Hm?"

"Pearl Harbor," he responded.

I opened my mouth. _Shit_. "Um…"

"December seventh, nineteen forty-one," Stefan said, saving me yet again. He looked at me with a nod of his head, and I smiled at him in response.

"Thank you, _Miss Miller_," Tanner teased. Everyone laughed, but Stefan wasn't affected by it.

"Anytime."

Tanner stared at Stefan. "Very well." He looked around the room. "The fall of the Berlin Wall," Tanner prompted.

"Nineteen eighty-nine. I'm…good with dates, sir," Stefan told the teacher. I gave a look of approval.

"Are you?" Tanner replied. "How good?" He looked around the room again before looking back at Stefan with an evil glance. "Keep it to the year," he instructed. Stefan nodded, and they began their faceoff. "Civil Right Act."

Stefan hesitated. "Nineteen sixty-four," he said at last.

"John F. Kennedy assassination."

"Nineteen sixty-three."

"Martin Luther King."

"Sixty-eight."

"Lincoln."

"Eighteen sixty-five."

"_Roe v. Wade." _Tanner began to come closer than ever to Stefan, an angry look on his face.

"Nineteen seventy-three."

"_Brown v. Board_."

"Nineteen fifty-four."

"The Battle of Gettysburg."

"Eighteen sixty-three."

"Korean War."

"Nineteen fifty to nineteen fifty-three."

"Ha!" Tanner exclaimed childishly, and almost everyone in the room blinked at his childishness. He looked at everyone, regardless. "It ended in fifty-two." Tanner chuckled. What a jerk.

As he turned, Stefan looked at me and then spoke again. "Uh, actually, sir, it was fifty-three," Stefan said knowingly. Tanner turned around, as if surprised that someone was talking back to him. Things were silent for a moment before Tanner glanced around the room while gritting his teeth.

"Look it up, somebody!" Tanner snapped. "_Quickly_!"

"It was…" Shelby began, searching on her phone. With a smile, she looked up at Tanner. "Nineteen fifty-three."

With Tanner's hardened expression, the rest of the classroom and I clapped and chuckled at Stefan's victory and Tanner's loss.

I leaned back to whisper to Stefan. "You really _are _an encyclopedia of facts," I whispered with a smile. He just smiled back at me as the bell rung to dismiss us. Shelby, Stefan, and I all walked out of the classroom.

"How did you know all of that?" Shelby asked with a wide smile on her face.

"Years and years of crossword puzzles." He looked up at me. "It's a...loner thing." I looked at him pointedly as the three of us continued down the hallway.

* * *

With a sigh, I walked up to Bonnie, Elena, and Shelby – who were all completely oblivious to me – on the side of the football field where the cheerleaders practiced. I cleared my throat and they looked behind to see me walk up to them, and each one of them jumped up from their stretches. I smiled at them.

"You're here!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Yep," I said, popping the end of my claim. "Everyone keeps telling me to not change _everything _about me, so I figured I'd give cheerleading another shot," I admitted.

"You're right," Elena commented to me as she twisted her hair up into a ponytail. "The only way you're going to get things back to the way they were are to do things that were."

"Well, maybe not _everything_," I protested. She opened her mouth, but nodded eventually. I turned to look at Shelby. "Maybe now's the time to bring up tonight's dinner party," I suggested.

Shelby nodded quickly and turned to Bonnie. "Oh, yeah, you're both coming to dinner at Ana's house tonight," she ordered.

Elena just shrugged and Bonnie laughed as we all began to stretch. "I am?" Bonnie inquired.

"Yep." Shelby smiled. "You, me, Elena, Ana, and Stefan." Bonnie just stared at Shelby incredulously. "Don't look at me in that tone of voice, Bonnie Bennett, you are coming," Shelby ordered. "You have to at least _talk_ to him. Give him a chance."

Bonnie shook her head. "Tonight's no good." Shelby tilted her head and frowned at Bonnie. But Bonnie moved on from the conversation, looking at me and Elena. "Hey, have you guys seen Caroline?" she asked.

"No." Elena sighed as I shook my head. "I've texted her a hundred times, but she hasn't answered," Elena explained.

Shelby made an offended sound. "Don't change the subject on me! You're coming to dinner," she determined. I switched positions so that I could stretch out more.

On typical circumstances, I would be in Caroline's shoes – late from doing something that no one knew about and they needed me to start the practice. I was cheerleading captain last year before my dad died. But after he did, Caroline replaced me. I knew it was because she wanted to get back at me when I _did _end up coming back, if I even did at all. But I was no longer captain anymore.

And…to be honest, I didn't really want to be.

With cheerleading, it was all stereotypical – Caroline was the perfect example of that. I was her. A very _intensified _version of her, but her nonetheless. I was worse. I was that mean girl that you see in bullying movies, except I wasted no time on bullying. There was a fine line between teasing your own friends and bullying random people just to feel good about yourself.

"Seriously," Bonnie said, looking around as we all wrapped up stretching. "Where is Caroline?"

Elena took a sip from her water bottle. "I don't know," she admitted. "It's not like her."

Bonnie made a confused expression before reaching down to grab her phone. "I'll try her again."

I sighed once and took a sip of my own water bottle, but when I heard a car pull up, I looked over my bottle to see a blue convertible pull up with a proud blonde in the front seat.

It was Caroline.

"Uh…" I trailed off, pointing at the car that pulled up. Bonnie raised her eyebrows.

"Oh my _God_."

I watched as Caroline leaned over and kissed the person that was in the driver's seat, and my heart sunk when I realized who it was.

"That must be the mystery guy from the Grill," Elena offered.

"It is," I said, getting up from the grass. Bonnie, Elena, and Shelby did the same. "That's Damon Salvatore."

Bonnie blinked. "Salvatore? As in _Stefan_?"

"As in the guy that I saw in the graveyard _and _the guy that Caroline met in the Grill."

Bonnie and Elena stared, open-mouthed at me, but we had no time to talk. Caroline got out of the car and made her way towards me and Shelby.

"I got the other brother," she said to Shelby, and her eyes flickered to me. "I hope you don't mind," she sung. I blinked. Why would I mind? Did he tell her that we talked? Caroline began again. "Sorry I'm late, girls. I, uh, was busy." I tuned Caroline out eventually as I snuck a glance towards Damon, only to find him looking at me in return. He raised his eyebrows tauntingly and put the car in drive, holding onto my gaze a little longer before he drove off, leaving me to watch after him.

"Anastasia!" someone snapped, and I looked away from Damon to see Caroline, who was staring at me with hard eyes. "Hell_o_. I'm talking to you!"

"Huh?" I asked, out of it. What game was he trying to play with me? Whatever it was, I wouldn't get involved in it. Not again. History was _not _going to repeat itself.

"Get in your place," she ordered, gesturing towards the rest of the cheerleaders that were assembling. We began the routine, and I had no idea what we were doing.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!" Caroline chanted as we did the routine and she just watched. I observed from the others, but it was nothing that I had done before. I tried to adapt as much as I could, but it was just getting hard.

Suddenly, Caroline spoke again. "Anastasia, sweetie, why don't you just observe today?" Caroline said cheerfully. I stared at her for a moment in disbelief. "Okay?" she prompted.

"But Caroline..."

"No," Caroline cut me off. "No, no. Just...go to the back," she instructed. I squared my jaw, but nodded at her after a while and went to the back. Caroline's words got lost in my mind as I went to the back and tried to get my head screwed on straight. I looked around and then I saw Stefan, running up to the football field with a uniform on. I smiled.

At least I could do something right.

* * *

"_You _explain it!" Bonnie challenged as the four of us walked around my kitchen, trying to get ready for dinner. Stefan wasn't supposed to show up for another couple minutes. "Last night, I'm watching _9-O. _Commercial break comes on and I'm like, 'I bet it's that phone commercial!' And, sure enough, it's the guy and the girl with the bench; he flies to Paris and he flies back." Elena glanced at Bonnie with disbelieving eyes. "They take a picture…" she continued.

Elena just laughed. "Oh, _come on_. That commercial's on a constant loop."

"Fine," Bonnie began. I helped Shelby take food out of a bag and heat it up. "Well, how about this?" she continued. "Today, I'm _obsessed _with numbers. Three numbers. I keep seeing eight, fourteen, and twenty-two. How weird is that?"

Elena gawked at her. "Maybe we should play the lottery," she suggested. Bonnie grimaced.

"No, Elena, don't be ridiculous," Shelby intervened. "Those aren't lottery numbers, those are _coordinates_." We stared at Shelby for a moment, waiting for her to continue. "Where the aliens are hiding."

Everyone in the kitchen just groaned, and she just chuckled to herself. I looked at Bonnie. "What about your Grams? What did she say?" I asked.

"She's just gonna say that I'm a witch," Bonnie complained. She looked at all three of us. "I don't wanna be a witch. Do you guys wanna be a witch?"

"Witches aren't real," Elena sung.

"No," I said simply, grabbing soda from the fridge. Shelby passed the store-bought pasta to Elena, who put it into a bowl, trying to fool Stefan by his eyes.

"I don't wanna be a witch," Shelby said, turning around. "I wanna be an alien."

"Shelby!" All three of us snapped simultaneously. She shrugged and turned away. Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"You realize that you're not fooling anyone by just putting restaurant food into a bowl, right?"

"Stefan likes me for me, not because I make him fancy food and rub his feet," she said pointedly. Bonnie just turned away and Shelby sighed. "Serving spoons…I need serving spoons…"

"Bottom drawer on your right," Bonnie told her. Shelby looked at our friend for a moment before going to the drawer Bonnie directed her to, only to find what she was looking for right in the drawer.

Shelby laughed. "Okay, this is starting to get a little creepy," she admitted.

Elena turned to Bonnie. "You've been in this kitchen a hundred times. Lucky guess."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's it."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, symbolizing Stefan's arrival just as Shelby dropped the serving spoon into the hot plate of penne pasta.

"Okay, no one say anything embarrassing and _be nice_," she instructed us all. Elena sighed and as Shelby walked out, she in the other direction and went to the bathroom. I walked over to the table and set the meals down, and when I turned around, Bonnie was staring down at a drawer, and I walked around the counter to see her staring at birthday candles.

"You…okay?" I asked her, staring at my friend. Bonnie looked up at me.

"No," she said quietly, but said nothing else, and soon enough, Shelby walked in with Stefan, Elena came back from the bathroom, and we began dinner.

* * *

An awkward silence hung in the air and the five of us all looked between each other, waiting for someone to break the silence. Finally, I gave in, seeing that it was between me or Elena – the two neutral parties.

I turned to Stefan. "Oh, uh, did everything work out okay with Tanner and the football team?" I asked him, putting some of the reheated food of Shelby's into my mouth.

"Well, he let me on the team," Stefan responded. "So I must've done something right."

I smiled at him and turned to Bonnie. "Bonnie, you left too early this morning. We were all talking and then Tyler threw a football at Stefan and—"

"Yeah," Bonnie replied, cutting me off. I frowned at her. "I heard."

Shelby awkwardly picked up her glass and drank a sip of her drink, glancing at me with gratitude for trying. Elena looked at Shelby and Stefan before helping them as well.

"Bonnie, why don't you tell Stefan about your family?" she asked.

Bonnie looked up at her with a grimace before she looked over at Stefan. "Um…divorced," Bonnie responded. "No mom; live with my dad." She laughed awkwardly and Stefan nodded.

"Mm."

"You should tell him about the witches," Shelby prompted, putting a forkful of food into her mouth. Bonnie was silent and Shelby turned to Stefan. "Bonnie's a witch." She smiled.

"Debatable," Elena sung, and Stefan turned his head at her to meet her smile.

"Don't listen to her," I disregarded, waving my hand to look at Stefan. "It's actually really cool. Not to mention a bit freaky."

"Cool isn't the word I'd use," Bonnie admitted. "Freaky is _definitely _the word for it, though."

Shelby grimaced and Stefan started to speak. "Well, it's certainly interesting," he began. Bonnie looked over at him. "I'm not _too _versed, but I do know that there's a history of Celtic Druids that migrated here in the eighteen hundreds."

"My family came by way of Salem."

Stefan didn't blink. "Really?" he asked her. Bonnie smiled at him lightly. "Salem witches?"

"Yep."

Stefan turned back at me. "I'd say that's pretty cool," he agreed with me.

Bonnie started the conversation this time. "Really?" she prompted. "Why?"

Stefan took a moment to respond. "Salem witches are…_heroic _examples of individualism and nonconformity."

Bonnie suddenly became proud, and her expression towards the Salvatore in Shelby's dining room changed. It was no longer annoyed of his presence, it was…happy.

Mission accomplished. Shelby and I exchanged a glance with smiles towards each other, and that's when the doorbell rang.

"I wasn't expecting anyone else," I said, looking at them with curious eyes. "Are any of you?" I received denial from all around the table, and with a shrug, I just got up from the dining table and walked into the foyer of my home to open the door.

"Surprise!" Caroline said cheerfully, holding a cake in front of my face as an offering. Behind her, I also saw Damon, who just smiled at me. I averted my eyes back to Caroline. "Bonnie said you were doing dinner, so we brought dessert." She lifted a red velvet cake in her hand and smiled at me.

"Oh," I said, giving a slight laugh as I looked at the cake.

"Hope you don't mind," Damon said to me with a soft grin. Without an invitation from me, Caroline walked into the house. I gave her a small smile and we began to walk to the dining room to meet everyone else, except that I felt Stefan's presence beside me. Sure enough, he was staring at his brother across the threshold.

"What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for Anastasia to invite me in," Damon replied, flickering his piercing eyes towards me. Hearing it, I turned around. Caroline did the same.

"Yeah, sure, just—"

"No, no, no," Stefan interrupted me. I raised my eyebrows at him. "He can't…uh…he can't stay." I looked at Damon and Stefan with curiosity. Was this really what it was like having a brother? "Can you, Damon?" Damon knotted his eyebrows together in response and gave a light – yet annoyed – smile.

"Get in here," Caroline ordered with a light laugh. I looked at Stefan, confused.

"We're just…finishing up," Stefan began again looking at me. I shook my head.

I looked at Damon. "It's fine. Just come in." Damon crossed the threshold and I saw Caroline go into the dining room to greet Shelby, Elena, and Bonnie. After three steps into my home, Damon turned around to face me.

"You have a beautiful home, Anastasia." He smiled at me widely.

I took in a deep breath. "Uh…thanks," I responded, and watched as he smiled at me again and went into the living room to meet up with his girlfriend.

Fifteen minutes later, all of us sat in my living room, drinking coffee and talking with each other.

"I _cannot _believe that Mister Tanner let you on the team," Caroline stated with a laugh to Stefan. She scoffed. "Ugh. Tyler must be _seething_." She paused. "But good for you. Go for it." She smiled.

"That's what I always tell him," Damon added. "You have to _engage_. You can't sit there and wait for life to come, you have to go _get _it."

Caroline laughed. "Yeah. Anastasia wasn't so lucky today." She looked pointedly at me, and I shifted. Caroline gave me a hardened expression. "It's _only _because you missed summer camp." As if that was supposed to make me feel better. Caroline looked at me incredulously. "I don't know how you're _ever _gonna learn the routines."

"I'll work with her," Shelby spoke up, looking at Caroline with annoyance. "She'll get it. After all, Caroline, we know who is _supposed _to be captain, don't we?" she shot.

Caroline shrugged. "When I see that she's stable enough to return to being cheerleading captain, I'll relinquish it," she lied. I knew she wouldn't do it even if I _had _become "stable enough". With her voice dropping to a whisper, she looked up at the ceiling. "Well, I _guess _I could put her in the back…"

I just stared at her blankly before someone talked to me. "You know," Damon began. "You don't seem like the cheerleader type, Anastasia," he admitted.

I gave him a slight smile and drank my coffee, fully ready to tell him that I – once upon a time – had been the biggest stereotypical _bitch _in my entire life. Caroline, however, answered for me. "Oh, it's just because her dad died," she said unsympathetically. She looked at Stefan and Damon. "Yeah, I mean, she's just _totally _going through a blah phase." Caroline laughed. "She used to be _way _more fun. I mean…until she started sleeping with my boyfriend, of course. Which, indirectly, got her into the accident in the first place." I was silent, and Caroline looked at me, realizing what she said. "And…I say that with complete sensitivity," she added, but she didn't mean it – I knew that.

"I'm sorry, Anastasia," Damon said, looking at me. "I know what it's like to lose a parent. In fact, Stefan and I lost both of ours. We've also watched almost _every _single person we've ever cared about die."

Stefan didn't give me a chance to respond. "We don't need to…get into that right now, Damon."

Damon sighed. "Ah, you know what, you're right, Stef. I'm sorry. I…" He looked at me and Shelby. "I mean, the _last _thing I wanted to do was bring _them _up." Damon laughed and made a face, sucking air through closed teeth.

I sighed, trying to remove the awkwardness of the situation. Getting up, I looked at everyone. "Well, I'm going to go start the dishes," I told them. "You can finish up your coffee and just bring them to me when you're done," I offered, going into the kitchen.

A few minutes later, when I was just starting to finish up with the dishes, I heard someone enter the kitchen. "One more," he said, and I turned around from the sink to see Damon holding up a glass. I gave him a small smile.

"Thank you," I said slowly and reached out for the glass. But when he released it, it was just out of my reach, and I braced myself with a gasp for the breaking sound of glass that I was going to have to clean up. But, then, Damon caught it from underneath me, and twirled the glass in his hand to show off his reflexes. I let a chuckle escape my lips out of nervousness and a slow recover from my small heart attack. I looked up at him to find him smile at me. "Nice save," I praised, examining the fully intact glass in my hand.

Damon pointed a finger at me after a while. "I like you," he commented. I watched as he walked over to the dishwasher to help me. "You know how to laugh. And I'm liking Shelby more by the second because she makes Stefan smile."

I laughed under my breath, hanging my head and smiling. "Yeah, I think that all the time too. The other way around, of course, but…" I shrugged and looked up at him. "I don't know, they just make each other happy. That's what matters."

"Hmm," Damon agreed, surveying me. I waited for his response. "You make Stefan smile, too, you know," he said, staring right into my eyes. "And that's something that I haven't seen in a _very _long time," he added.

I grabbed a plate from the sink and slowly moved towards the dishwasher. "I don't mean to pry, but…" I bent down to put the plate in the dishwasher. "Earlier, did you mean Katherine?"

Damon bent down as well and grabbed the plate from my hand, his fingers grazing mine. "Mmhm," he responded, and I let go of the plate so he could help me. "And Elizabeth," he added.

"They both died?" I questioned. Damon nodded. "How did they die?"

Damon looked at the floor and knotted his eyebrows. "In a fire," he said, looking back at me. "Tragic fire." He put another dish in the dishwasher.

"Recently?" I pushed. I was mainly curious.

His eyes skimmed my kitchen before he found me. "It _seems _like it was yesterday." He flashed me a smile. "Though if I could count all the times Elizabeth was close to dying, I'd run out of numbers," he joked.

I looked back into the sink. "I-I'm sorry, I don't mean to—"

Damon cut me off, waving his hand in response. "Don't worry about it," he promised me, taking another dish from my hand and staring into my eyes. "Ask all the questions you'd like, Anastasia." With a smirk, he bent down and placed another dish in the dishwasher.

"What was she like?" I asked after a while, deciding to continue.

"Elizabeth?" I nodded. Damon took in a deep breath. "She was…_beautiful_. A lot like you in that department," he pointed out, helping with another dish. "Kind…smart…funny. Had two left feet…" He trailed off and I waited for him to finish. "But when she wanted to be, she could be almost as cruel as Katherine."

"What about her?" I asked. Damon raised his eyebrows. "Katherine. What was she like?"

"Beautiful as well," he answered. "But she was complicated and selfish and, unlike Elizabeth, she wasn't very kind at times; but she was very sexy and seductive." He said it like it was a plus compared to all of the other things.

"Is that supposed to be an advantage?" I challenged, and Damon looked at me with curious yet knowing eyes.

"Mm," he agreed, needing no other words. I sighed and held out a plate for him, knowing.

"So which one of you dated her first?"

"Who, Katherine?" I nodded. Damon chuckled and took the plate from my hand. He bent down and placed the dish in the only empty spot left. "Nicely deduced. Ask Stefan. I'm sure his answer differs from mine." He bent down and closed the dishwasher with a grin on his face. "I'm sure that curious little mind of yours is wondering about Elizabeth now, aren't you?" I nodded in the slightest. "I did," he answered. "But that didn't seem to matter to her." He looked at me in that way – the way that I had become so familiar with regarding Caroline's boyfriends.

History couldn't repeat itself. I wouldn't let it. I was lucky enough that Caroline forgave me for the last one. I turned away from Damon and walked to the center of my kitchen to fold the placemats that Shelby forced me to put out. I could still feel Damon's presence, but he didn't say anything for a while.

Until he came up right beside me. "I'd quit cheerleading if I were you," Damon said in my ear, and I turned to watch him as he sat down on the stools we kept under the center isle. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Why do you say that?" I asked, laughing slightly.

"Oh, I saw you at practice," Damon noted. "You looked _miserable_."

I took a deep breath in and out. "I...don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on." Damon grinned at me. "You can admit it, you know. I won't judge," he added.

I looked up at him. "Miserable might not be the right term, but yes. I wasn't all that cheerful," I mumbled.

"So, miserable," Damon concluded. I grimaced at him. "Am I wrong?" he asked, looking over at me. I put a placemat down and looked up at the ceiling before I resumed folding the placemats.

"I mean…I used to love it. _So _much, I…" I trailed off. "It was my entire life. It was fun, it was empowering, it was…_me_." I shrugged after a while. "But…things are different this year. Everything that used to matter to me just…doesn't anymore."

"So don't let it," Damon suggested, as if it were that simple. "Quit, move on. Problem solved, ta-da," he sung. He smiled at me and I just laughed.

"You know, _some _things could matter again," I told him.

He looked up at me. "Like what?" he asked, and I looked back at him with the same intensity. He couldn't possibly know what I wanted to change in myself. I let my lips part slightly, and Damon resumed the conversation after he looked down at the placemats and began to help me. "Maybe things could matter again, but not all of them." He looked back up at me. "It just seems a little unrealistic to me."

I thought about continuing the conversation, but every bone in my body was telling me that if I did, it would take a turn for the worse. Damon was one of those guys that you didn't want to give the wrong signal to – or else they would assume.

So, instead, I focused on something else.

"I'm sorry," I said at last. Damon looked up at me, confused. "About Katherine and Elizabeth," I clarified. He did a double-take, taking in a deep breath and looking at me with surprise. "You lost them, too."

And everything went silent for a long time, and Damon and I just stared at each other until someone interrupted us.

"Hey," Bonnie said, and Damon and I tore our eyes away from each other to look at Bonnie and Shelby, who entered the kitchen. "Need some help?"

* * *

_Two hours later, after everyone had left my home, I had changed in my pajamas and had gotten a bowl of ice cream and a movie to take into my room and watch so I could fall asleep. So far, I realized that my mom wouldn't be home for another four hours at least, and there was no way I was staying awake that long. _

_But just as I was about to go upstairs, the doorbell rang, and I raised my eyebrows in confusion. Who was at the door _now_? _

_I set the ice cream and the movie down on the table by the staircase and walked to the door. _

_"Damon," I said as I answered it in confusion. He smiled at me. "What are you doing here?" I asked. _

_"Forgot my jacket," he said, pointing behind me. I turned around to see his leather jacket laying helplessly on the dining room table. When I turned around to face him, he was still smiling. _

_"Oh," I said and opened the door. "I guess you did. Come on in."_

_ "Mm," he agreed and walked through the threshold. I shut the door behind him and he walked into the dining room to grab the jacket. I waited by the door so I could open it as he left. He made his way to the door again, but he let his eyes settle on the movie. _

_"Lost Boys?" he asked me, looking at the movie on the table by the staircase. He chuckled. "I didn't figure you for a vampire fan." _

_"I'm not," I admitted. "I just decided I'd watch it to fall asleep." I smiled. _

_Damon frowned at me. "Please tell me you're joking." I shrugged. "You're kidding! You can't just watch that movie to fall _asleep_! It's a classic." Both of us were silent for a moment before he puckered his lips. "Do you mind if I watch it with you?" he asked me. _

_I opened my mouth. "Uh…" I trailed off, but I couldn't find a good excuse to tell him no. "Sure," I said at last. "Why not?" _

_Fifteen minutes later, the movie was in the DVD player in my room and Damon laid on my bed, his hands behind his head and his jacket on the chair in the corner of my room. I climbed onto my bed and played with the remotes so it was set up for me to play. I grabbed the ice cream from the side of my bed and opened it. _

_Damon chuckled. "Ice cream, Ana? Really?" he questioned. _

_I frowned at him. "You invaded my personal time," I accused him. "You're going to deal with watching me eat ice cream." _

_His eyes shone. "I think I can handle that," he admitted, and I felt my heart pound. Quickly, I pushed the thought out of my head and pressed the play button on the remote to distract myself, and the movie began. _

_After I finished the bowl of ice cream in my hand, I set the dessert down on my nightstand and turned back, only to see Damon staring at me._

_ "What?" I challenged. _

_He grinned at me and jerked his head. "You missed some," he told me, and I raised my eyebrows. I brushed my finger across my lips, but I felt nothing. Suddenly, his face was inches away from mine, and he let his finger brush across my lips, wiping away at something. _

_"There," he whispered, and I was physically unable to speak. I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to hurt Caroline. No matter how gorgeous Damon was. _

_But I wasn't the one who made the first move. Damon surged forward and his lips latched onto mine, taking no prisoners as he forced his way into my mouth. I felt heat rush down to my core, and every inch of me wanted to stop it, but I couldn't find the will. And he knew it, too. His hand held my face in place as he roughly kissed me, and I lost all control. I threw the covers off of myself and turned us so I was on his lap, and he just kissed me deeper and deeper, his hands exploring every inch of my body._

_"Damon," I gasped as his lips parted from mine for a tiny moment, and I could feel his chuckle ripple from underneath me. His lips trailed a fire down my throat and to my chest, and I basked in. _

_Until I realized what I was doing. _

_"No," I said, gaining my control again. I climbed off of him and stumbled back in my room. "No. No. No. This can't happen. This can't happen. You're with Caroline." _

_"I don't want Caroline, I want you," he growled. My insides rushed again and he got up from the bed and kissed me once more, and I had no choice but to kiss back. The fire grew larger and larger by the moment, until I pulled away once more. _

_I shoved his chest. "No," I said firmly. He stared at me blankly. "I said no." _

I awoke with a gasp, panting heavily, as if the dream had carried over into real life. I felt a wave of guilt and desire coarse through me, but I needed to shake it off. The images of Damon's lips on mine were burned into my memory, and my stomach flipped. Slowly, I got out of my bed and stumbled downstairs to grab something to get my mind off of it.

With narrowed eyes, I pressed my glass to the water dispenser on our fridge and pulled it away when it was half full. I took a large sip from it, got more water, and then shuffled my way back up the stairs.

But just as I was about to go into my room, I heard the door unlock, and my heart pounded. I watched with one stealthy, sleepy eye as my mother walked into the house.

But she wasn't alone.

And then I began to get sick as I watched my mom begin to chomp on someone's face, kissing them and laughing with them deeply. The guy laughed with her in return, and they continued it as she put her keys down on the table, and the moonlight from the window shone through the house.

The man was Logan Fell - the news reporter. The founder.

I shivered. _Ugh. __Why him? _

I fell asleep two hours later, still reeling over the sight that was burned into my memory. On one hand, it got me off of the desire I felt for Damon, but on the other, it was making me want to puke. I barely got a drop of sleep before my alarm clock woke me up, telling me that it was time to go to school.

I showered and walked out, pushing every thought from last night out of my head. When I walked into my bedroom, I saw the cheerleader uniform that I had spread out across my bed staring at me, as if forcing me to choose. I took a long look in the mirror and realized.

What if Damon was right? What if things going back to normal was never going to be the way it would turn out to be?

Would it really be _such _a bad thing if I stopped caring about this stuff anymore?

* * *

With a long, hard sigh, I walked through the crowd of people up to Stefan and Shelby, just in time to see Stefan's fingers clasp something on Shelby's wrist and pull away, both of them smiling at each other. When Shelby saw me, she pulled away from Stefan and I just smiled at her.

"Ana!" she exclaimed, but gestured at my normal clothes. "What's wrong? You're not in your uniform."

"I quit," I answered after a while. Immediately, I changed the subject when I looked at the wrist that Stefan had touched to see a new bracelet. "What's that?" I asked.

"Stefan gave it to me," Shelby said proudly, smiling wide. "It's beautiful, look," she stuck her hand out to let me see the shining gold bracelet with an oval locket on the face of it.

"It is beautiful." I looked at Stefan and gave him a smile. He smiled back. "You've done good, Salvatore," I praised.

"Shelby!" someone called, and Shelby turned to us.

"I'll be right back," she informed us, and left, leaving Stefan and I alone.

"By the way," Stefan began as his girlfriend left the scene. "I got you something, too." He pulled out a box and reached inside to reveal a long chain with a small locket that was barely visible. I raised my eyebrows at him. "It's an anklet," he informed me. "I wanted to thank you for helping me and Shelby out yesterday. Especially for dealing with my brother." He laughed awkwardly. The dream floated back in my mind, and I cleared my throat.

"It was no problem, Stefan, really." I looked at the anklet. "You shouldn't have."

He smiled at me and extended his gift. "Here," he offered. "I figured you'd like it anyways." I basked at the beauty of the anklet as he extended it out to me. With a slight hesitation, I took it.

"Thank you," I said at last. "That's really sweet of you, Stefan."

He smiled. "Don't mention it." I grinned at him and bent down, locking the anklet on my ankle. Regardless of the locket, it felt like it wasn't even there. I smiled down at it and Shelby came up to us, watching as I straightened from putting the anklet on myself.

"Where'd the anklet come from?" Shelby asked, chipper.

"Stefan gave it to me," I told her. Shelby looked at Stefan and grinned.

"You are the _best_," she said with a smile. "Giving me a present and then my best friend?" Shelby looked at me and then at Stefan. "No third wheels. I like that." Her smile was unbelievably cheerful, and I could imagine why. She gave Stefan a light kiss and then turned to me. "I'll see you later, Ana."

"Bye," I said to her, and in the next moment, she was gone.

"I better get going too," Stefan said after Shelby jogged away. "I'll see you after the game." I nodded to him and he was gone as well, just like Shelby, leaving me alone. I sighed inwardly before I turned around; only to see Caroline with a pissed-off expression, her eyes running over my normal clothes.

"And you're not in uniform _because_?"

* * *

The cheering was uncontrollable in the large crowd that Tanner was trying to make quiet. Pom-poms were waving in the air like flags. Tanner got the crowd to settle down with multiple attempts of saying "wait", and – to much of my surprise – it actually worked.

"Let's be honest here," Tanner began. "In the past, we used to let other teams come into _our _town and roll right over us." The crowd went from being silent to booing. "But that is about to change," he said, and the crowd erupted once more. I clapped with what school spirit I had left. "We have some great new talent tonight starting on offense, and I'm gonna tell you right now, it has been a _long _time since I have seen a kid like this with hands like these!" The crowd erupted once again, and Stefan's teammates clapped him on the back. I put my hands together in support of him, and Tanner screamed through the microphone, "Let's give it up for _Stefan Salvatore_!" It took a while for the crowd to simmer down, so I lost some words that Tanner said. "…that have been for us to put a check in the win column, I have only one thing to say to you – we're Timberwolves, we're _hungry_." Pom-poms raised once again and everyone cheered. "And the Central High Lions are what's for dinner!" he raved, and this time, the crowd was so strong, Tanner didn't say anything, he just watched as the crowd cheered.

Last year at one of these football games, I would be the one screaming the hardest and waving her pom-poms up in the air the fastest. But things were different now.

I was better.

Or, at least, I hoped.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Stefan leave the crowd randomly, and so did a lot of other people. With a worried glance to Shelby, I began to walk towards the other people, where I saw Tyler, Jeremy, and Stefan fighting. Jeremy grabbed a bottle from the ground just as Tyler punched Stefan, but Stefan blocked it. I could see Elena trying to make her way through the crowd, but she was too far behind. I raced in front of Stefan, though I could see he had a bleeding gash on his hand.

"Jeremy, what happened?" I asked, concerned. Jeremy wasn't my brother, but when his parents died, I was there for both Elena and Jeremy, and I knew that Jeremy had never really gotten over their deaths. Obviously, since I wasn't very kind back then, I wasn't trying to fix all their problems, but I realized now that what I could do, I would do it.

"I'm fine," Jeremy responded.

"Yeah, you smell fine," I countered sarcastically. Elena then emerged through the crowd and raced over to us, looking at Jeremy with harsh eyes.

"Seriously, Jeremy what the _hell_?" Elena said through her teeth.

"Just _stop_, okay?" Jeremy said angrily and brushed past the both of us. Elena went after him, but I turned around to see Matt trying to get Tyler away from Stefan. I rushed up to Stefan.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "Your hand…." I trailed off when I reached out to grab it, but Stefan pulled it from me and put it behind his back.

"No, no, no. It's fine," he assured me.

"No, it's not!" I said, snatching his hand from his back and pulling it to me. "I saw it." I opened his hand, but I pulled my fingers away in shock when I saw that it was perfectly fine. There was no cut and no blood except for a thin orange line in the center of his hand. I looked down at it in shock.

_But he cut his hand!_

"I saw it," I repeated, my voice low. "You cut your hand." I looked up at him.

"He missed," Stefan cut me off. "It's not my blood. See?" Stefan took his hand and wiped it on his shorts, and sure enough, the orange line was no longer there. "I'm fine."

"But I _saw _it," I pushed. "The glass cut your hand…there was blood—"

"No, hey, it's okay," Stefan whispered. "I'm okay. Thank you." I said nothing in return. I was _sure _of it. Stefan cut his hand. Why was his hand perfectly fine? "Look, it's almost kick off time…so I'll see you and Shelby after the game, okay?" I could barely find the strength to nod my head as Stefan moved past me without another word.

I was _sure _of it. But how could I deny reality? His hand was fine. He was fine.

Was I going completely insane?

A thought crossed my mind – Bonnie. That bad feeling she had about Stefan…it didn't seem so crazy now. I couldn't be going insane. But something was seriously wrong with this situation – Stefan cut his hand. The more I thought about it, the more certain I was.

I walked up to Bonnie, who was with the cheerleaders. Caroline said something that bossed them around, and I really didn't know what it was – nor did I care. Shelby was too busy appeasing Caroline, and I didn't want to talk to her about it…yet, at least.

"Hey," Bonnie said when I walked up to her. "Where've you been and…why aren't you in uniform? Caroline's going to—"

"I need to ask you a question," I cut her off. "And I need a serious response."

"Of course," Bonnie said, all sarcasm lost. "What is it?"

"The bad mojo," I began, "about Stefan. What you said to me at the Grill—"

"You know what, forget I said that," Bonnie said, sighing. "I actually told Shelby earlier that I kind of like him now." She smiled. "That dinner party plot _totally _won me over."

"No, Bonnie, seriously," I said, not joking around this time. "What was it? What did you see?"

Bonnie exhaled deeply, but she answered my question. "It wasn't clear like a picture," she responded to me. "Like today, I keep seeing those same numbers I told you guys about – eight, fourteen, twenty-two?"

"Yeah?" I prompted.

"When I touched Stefan, it was a feeling," she explained. "And it vibrated through me, and it was cold, and it…" Bonnie stopped.

"And what?"

Bonnie Bennett was quiet for the longest time. "It was death," she said. "It was what I imagine death to be like."

* * *

How could it be possible? _Death? _Seriously? First "The end is near" and now "Death"? Maybe Stefan was on steroids or something but…the feeling of _death_? That wasn't real.

I walked up to my car and put my jacket inside, seeing as it was way too hot to keep it on for the rest of the night. I was still reeling over what had happened, but the more I thought about the situation, the more confused I got. I shut the passenger door of my car and straightened, only to turn around and find Damon.

I gasped loudly and let my heart recover. "Damon," I breathed. "What are you doing here?" I felt my heart race even more at the sight of him, remembering my dream.

Damon looked around, as if making sure no one could hear us. He dropped his voice to a whisper. "I'm hiding from Caroline." I swallowed but kept pushing through.

"Why?" I whispered.

Damon brought his voice to a normal level. "I needed a break," he admitted. He took in an annoyed breath. "She _talks _more than I can listen," Damon explained.

"That's Caroline for you," I said awkwardly. Damon shrugged.

"Well, she's awfully young."

"And is that supposed to mean something?" I challenged. Damon scoffed and laughed at the same time.

"I don't see it going anywhere in the bigger picture," he responded, smiling. "I think she'd drive me crazy," he admitted with a light tone. I'm not sure why, but I suddenly got enraged.

"Caroline _does _have annoying traits, but we've been friends since as long as I can remember. Not to mention the fact that I was probably _exactly _like her not six months ago." I wouldn't let this happen again. I had to defend Caroline. I wouldn't steal her boyfriend this time.

"Duly noted," Damon said, as if aware of my feelings now. "I-I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable." He smiled. "That's not my intention."

But I studied him and realized something. "Yeah," I said slowly. He raised his eyebrows. "It is your intention. Otherwise you wouldn't be here with me while your girlfriend is out on the field right now."

He stared at me for a moment before hanging his head and laughing to himself. "You're right," he said after a while, and I took in a deep breath. "I do have other intentions." Now was the time to leave, I realized. "But so do you."

I scoffed. "Really?" I challenged.

"Mmhm."

"And what would they be?"

Damon took a second to answer. "You want me," he said slowly, and my breath caught. "I get to you. You find yourself _drawn _to me and you can't pull away." I parted my lips as he stared at me with hard eyes. "You think about me even when you don't want to think about me – I bet you even _dreamed _about me." How did he know about that? My heart raced. "And right now," his voice was lower, "you wanna kiss me."

He leaned forward, slowly bringing his face closer to mine. All I could think about was the way his lips felt conquering mine in my dream. My breath was slow as I felt him come closer, but then I realized.

_I can't be the same person that I was before. _

"No," I choked out, but Damon didn't want to listen to me. I brought my hand up and let it collide with his face in a hard slap, making my fingers sting. "I don't know what game you're trying to play with me and Caroline, but I don't want to be apart of it," I said, my stomach churning. He looked back at me with surprise. "I am _not _going to be the girl that I was before. Not anymore." With an extra glance at him, I brushed past him, feeling a surge of power run through me at the person that I'd become.

* * *

At night, everything was quiet inside of my home seeing as my mother wasn't home yet – though she called me to tell me that she was coming home in a couple minutes because of Tanner's death. I couldn't believe it. How could an animal just maul him like that? There were no _animals _in Mystic Falls – at least not one that would jump into a school parking lot and murder a teacher.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door. My heart pounded, and I hoped to every God that there could possibly be that it wasn't Damon. But even if it was, I knew that I didn't want to get mixed up in that again.

I was different now. Better.

And tonight I had proved that.

I opened the door to see Stefan standing at the threshold, his hands in his pockets.

"Stefan," I greeted. He gave me a light smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," he admitted. I sighed. "After everything that happened tonight…."

"Yeah," I said at last. "I'm fine." Everything was silent for a moment. "Stefan, what happened to your hand?" I asked, confused.

He stared at me. "What do you—?"

"You know what I mean," I cut him off. He stared at me. "I was _so _sure that you cut it."

He let out a deep exhale and ran a hand through his hair. "It doesn't matter," he determined. "I'm fine. You're fine. Everything is fine."

I thought about arguing with him, but then I realized – he was right. At least about the situation not mattering. Maybe I had seen it wrong. Maybe I was overreacting.

I gave him a slight smile. "You're right," I said at last. Stefan smiled back. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

He nodded at me. "I'll see you tomorrow," he agreed, and turned to walk off my porch. I shut the door with a sigh and went up to my room, where I soon fell asleep with the television on, _Lost Boys _playing the background.

As I hovered over the edge between unconsciousness and awareness, I felt something slowly brush my cheek. I wavered for a second, determining it to be a brush of air, but it happened again, and my stomach recognized another presence in the room. I opened my eyes, only to see Damon in my room. I blinked for a moment out of shock, but his expression remained unmoving.

"Damon?" I whispered, confused. I reached up and rubbed my eyes free of sleep, and when I opened them, he was gone, and the only presence left in my room was the moving screen of the _Lost Boys _glowing over my skin. I glanced around the room, bewildered, but then I realized that it must've been a hallucination.

So I turned off the television and went back to sleep, awaiting the next day before me.

* * *

**I have actually never seen _Lost Boys _before and I really want to watch it now because of this chapter. Have any of you seen it? Is it good? **

**Thank you to all who have reviewed so far, and I appreciate the support that I am getting. Please tell me what you think of the chapter :) **

_**Love, **_

_**BellaSalvatore1918**_

_**X**_


	4. Family Ties

**Hi, guys! Thank you for the reviews last chapter, it makes me smile :) A lot of you seem to have concerns about this story, so I just wanted to let you all know that this story isn't going anywhere any time soon. I actually really like the idea and when I like an idea, I most likely always keep it. **

**Anyways, so don't worry about that. This chapter is a little short, but I hope it does the episode justice. It was a good episode, but it mostly focused on Stefan and Elena's relationship and Anastasia is _far _from a romantic interest to Stefan. **

**So, enjoy the chapter! Make sure to drop a review at the end please. Always remember that the more readers I get the faster the update.**

**By the way, I don't think I've told you guys, but there will be updates every Thursday :) At least, that's what I'm hoping for. There might be another update once in a while but every Thursday most likely. Sound good? **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot.**

* * *

**Family Ties**

When the sun shone its brightest on Saturday afternoon, I walked downstairs to get breakfast, not surprised to find my mom in the kitchen, putting together a collection of items that I had never seen before. She was watching the news like she was a zombie, and I soon realized why.

Logan Fell.

I scoffed and decided not to bring it up. My mother broke out of her trance.

"Good morning, Anastasia," she said as I grabbed my breakfast from the fridge.

"Morning," I responded and looked at the items that she was polishing. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm putting together a collection for the party tonight," she responded. "Speaking of, who are you bringing tonight?" she inquired.

I shrugged. "I was thinking about going alone," I admitted. My mom frowned at me, and I blinked at her. "What?"

"You can't go _alone, _Anastasia, this is an important party," she pushed. "Invite Matt Donovan, I'm sure he'd love to go with you," she suggested. "We have a reputation to uphold."

I sighed. A date with Matt? No, not a date. If there was _one _relationship that I wouldn't ruin in my entire life, it would be his and mine. Matt and I were friends, and nothing more. But wouldn't Elena want to go with Matt?

"I'm pretty sure he and Elena are dating again," I countered. She puckered her lips for a moment and then just gave me a reassuring smile.

"I'm sure you'll find someone to go with," she said, oddly nice to me. I was beginning to get whiplash from her. "Do me a favor? If Mrs. Lockwood comes to the door, give her that box?" She gestured to the antique box filled with our family heirlooms. I nodded and she went upstairs to change while I finished breakfast – or, lunch, really. After I finished, I sat on the couch and watched television while my mother was still upstairs getting ready, even though the party wasn't until six. Then again, it _was _only two hours away.

Sure enough, the doorbell rang, and I grabbed the box from the table and walked to the door.

But it wasn't Mrs. Lockwood, it was Tyler Lockwood. He smiled at me. "Hey, Ana." I smiled back.

"Hey, Tyler." I held up the box. "Here to pick this up?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "My mom sent me for it. Are you going?" Tyler asked as I handed the box over to him with a sigh.

"If I can find a date, yeah," I said, leaning against my door. "My mom said something about having a 'reputation' to uphold." I scoffed.

Tyler chuckled. "What ever happened to that Neal guy that you were seeing?" he inquired.

I raised my eyebrows. "You mean Neal, the guy I was sleeping with that also happened to be Caroline's boyfriend?"

"Yeah, that's probably the one."

"Well, as you can see, _that _didn't work out," I said with a light chuckle. Tyler looked down at the box and lifted it before tapping it against his hand.

"Thanks for the heirlooms," he said. I nodded at him and began to shut the door, but then he stopped it by pushing it open again. I raised my eyebrows at him when I left the door open. "Hey, Ana, do you think you'd like to go to the ball with me?" he asked.

I looked at him, bewildered. Tyler Lockwood, asking me out on a date? Normally, you would think it would work, but Tyler and I never really associated ourselves that way. We were friends – much like me and Matt. Except Matt was a close friend, and Tyler and I would only talk when we were placed together.

"Like…a date?" I questioned, confused.

"Well, not really," he began. "You know I've been seeing Vicki Donovan, don't you?"

I nodded. Like they were even attempting to hide it from everyone. "Yeah. So why don't you ask her?"

"I don't really want my mom to find out," he reasoned with me. I nodded slowly, understanding. "You know? Reputations and everything. I'd be okay with it, but my mom on the other hand…"

"Won't?" I finished for him, nodding. "Yeah, I understand, Tyler. Sure. I'll go with you." I paused. "Respectively speaking," I added. Tyler smiled at me.

"Thanks, Ana."

I nodded at him and shut the door before my mom descended the staircase, fully dressed in her outfit for the evening.

"Did I hear Tyler Lockwood at the door?" she asked, stopping in front of the mirror at the bottom of the stairs to make sure the bun on the side of her head was still intact. I nodded at her.

"Yeah," I answered. "We've decided that we're going together," I added. My mom turned to me and smiled lightly.

"That's good. Is he coming to pick you up?"

I frowned at her. "Mom, his parents are _hosting _the party, why would he come to pick me up?" I challenged. She paused for a moment.

"I guess you're right, that doesn't make sense," she admitted. With a sigh, she grabbed her keys from the table by the stairs and looked up at me. "I'll meet you at the party?" she asked.

"You're leaving already?" I blinked.

"I have to go to the office for a couple of hours and finish working on a case." My mother, the Super Lawyer. I nodded in understanding. "Your dress is on your bed," she added before smiling and opening the door to let the light in, then closing it on her way out.

With an extra heavy sigh, I pulled myself up the stairs and walked into my room where – sure enough – there was a garment bag laying on my bed. I walked over to it and zipped it open, only scoffing when I saw the dress inside. It was a straight bodycon black dress with both shoulders covered only there was a cutout on the left side below the strap to expose the skin. When would my mom stop giving me dresses that made me look like I was twenty-two?

Nevertheless, I knew that if I didn't wear it, she would undoubtedly get angry with me because of it. I pulled it out of the bag and hung it on the back of my door before I went to shower. After my shower, I changed into the dress, and I wasn't surprised to see that it looked just as risqué on my body as it did on the hanger. The one plus side of it was that it went perfectly with my ruby-colored necklace that I wore all day, every day. With an exhale, I slipped myself into beige-colored heels - minding the anklet that dangled and rested on my ankle - and went into the bathroom, where I spent a good hour blow-drying my hair. In no time, the sun had made its way to the west side of the sky, only an hour or two before it set completely. I realized that I was just on time to go, and I grabbed my purse and slipped my cell phone inside before getting my keys and driving to the Lockwood house.

There was a huge line that extended outside of the house, where everyone who was on the guest list lined up to get greeted by Mrs. Lockwood, Mr. Lockwood, and Tyler. When Tyler saw me, he smiled and beckoned me over, and I walked to the front of the line to greet Tyler at the stairs.

"Thank you for doing this," he whispered at me. I shook my head.

"I should be thanking you," I whispered back. Suddenly, Mrs. Lockwood came up to us with a large grin, and I could tell that it wasn't a fake one. She looked at us with genuine approval.

"Anastasia," she said cheerfully. "I'm so happy that you're here."

"Thank you, Mrs. Lockwood," I said kindly. Before I became reformed, I did do a good job of keeping my encounters hidden from the people that mattered in the town – just in case. "It's really nice to be here," I added.

"Are you here as Tyler's date?" she asked me. I nodded and hummed a response.

"Mmhm. He asked me this morning when he picked up the box of our heirlooms," I told her. She looked at Tyler and smiled.

"Well, that's nice." She looked back at me. "Enjoy the party, Anastasia."

"Thank you." When she was gone, Tyler looked in the crowd and cursed underneath his breath.

"Vicki's here," he informed me. I looked over to see Vicki Donovan – and was actually impressed. She was wearing an acceptable dress – unlike mine – and her hair had been straightened. Tyler looked at me. "Do you think we can talk to your mom later?"

I waved my hand. "Don't worry about it, I told her that I was coming with you earlier. Whenever you get the chance, maybe we'll talk to her."

Tyler smiled at me and pecked my cheek. "You're the best, Anastasia."

"I'll remember that," I chuckled. He smiled at me before bouncing down the steps of his large porch and I walked inside of the mansion.

"Ana!" someone called out to me, and I turned to see Shelby walking towards me with Stefan's hand in hers. Shelby was like a glimmering light amongst the boring townspeople, seeing as she wore a glittering dress to the party. It was cream white at the top and glimmered a bright beige/gold color for the skirt. It was very..._Shelby, _somehow. She was never one to blend in with the normal people. I smiled as Stefan and Shelby walked towards me.

"Hey," I said. "You guys came together?" I asked.

Shelby nodded. "Yeah, I asked Stefan this morning," she admitted.

"Did you come with anyone, Anastasia?" Stefan asked. I nodded.

"Tyler," I told them. "But, not really. We just came with each other to get our parents off of our backs," I confided as we walked into the parlor.

"Isn't he dating Vicki?" Shelby asked me. I nodded.

"Yes," I responded. "And I wanted to ask Matt, but I'm almost positive that Elena asked him." Suddenly, I caught someone out of the corner of my eye, and sure enough, I saw Elena in her orange-colored dress that she had picked out a week ago, holding Matt's hand in hers as they talked to other people. "And I guess I was right."

"You could've just came alone," Shelby suggested. I let a laugh escape my lips.

"Yeah. And have my mom be giving people the 'She has a boyfriend but he couldn't make it tonight' speech to everyone here? Not coming with someone is worse than just coming with someone as a roux," I admitted.

Shelby fit her arm through mine. "Well, you can stay with me and Stefan. No third wheels." She smiled at me and looked at Stefan. "So who wants a drink?"

* * *

"_The Founding Families of Mystic Falls welcome you to the inaugural Founder's Council Celebration_," I relayed to Stefan and Shelby as we all looked at the history that was on display in the study. Stefan and Shelby looked at me and I nodded to the registry in front of me. "It's the original guest registry," I told them.

"Really?" Shelby asked, breaking Stefan's hand to come and look at it with me. I nodded.

"Look at all the people who came to the first party," I said, a little interested in it. "Sheriff William Forbes. Mayor Benjamin Lockwood…." I trailed off, looking at all of the names on the registry. Suddenly, I looked at two names that were _too _familiar. "Is that Damon Salvatore?" I asked, looking at the name that was signed on the registry. I looked at Stefan. "And _Stefan _Salvatore?" I asked.

"The _original _Salvatore brothers." Stefan, Shelby, and I turned around to see Damon walking in with Caroline, hand-in-hand, a smile on his face. I tensed. "Our ancestors," he continued. "Tragic story, actually."

Stefan walked forward. "We don't need to bore them with stories of the past," Stefan said. Shelby and I met up with the three of them.

Shelby waved her hand. "It's not boring, Stefan," she said. "I'm sure your family is beyond interesting." Shelby shot her boyfriend a smile, but I could see that Stefan only returned it halfway.

"Well, I'm bored," Caroline said, interrupting them. "I wanna dance," she added and looked over at the older Salvatore brother. "And _Damon _won't dance with me," she complained.

"Mm-mm," Damon said, shaking his head in rejection.

She looked at Shelby. "Could I just borrow your date?" she asked.

Shelby frowned. "It's a date for a reason, Caroline." I didn't blame her for saying no. Caroline was almost as ruthless as I was – not to mention the fact that she went for Stefan the first day he came to town.

"Oh, um, I don't really dance, anyway," Stefan argued.

Damon scoffed. "Oh, sure he does. Waltz, the Jitterbug, the Moonwalk. He does it all." Damon smiled at his brother.

"You wouldn't mind, would you, Shelby?" Caroline asked sweetly.

Shelby debated it, and I was praying that she said no. "No, I wouldn't mind." I didn't mean it like _that, _but… "Only if I get to dance with him too." She shot Stefan a smile, and he grinned back at her. I oddly felt like the rock caught in between them and felt like I should duck my head or something. So much for the no third-wheels thing.

Actually, I didn't blame them. I didn't even blame myself. Not having a boyfriend was a hell of a lot easier than having ten of them.

"Well, come on," Caroline pushed, grabbing Stefan's hand. "I call first dance."

_Don't leave me alone with Damon, _I prayed silently to Shelby, but she left with Stefan and Caroline. I let out a hard breath and turned away as quickly as I could, trying to avoid conversation with Damon.

"Wait, Anastasia," he said, catching my attention. I turned around reluctantly. "I wanna apologize to you," Damon began, "for being such a world-class jerk the other night when I tried to kiss you. There's no excuse," he said quickly. I looked around the room with a sigh as he rambled on. "My therapist says I'm acting out, trying to punish Stefan."

"Your...therapist?" I raised an eyebrow. Damon Salvatore has a therapist? On one hand, I was surprised...but on the other? Not so much. I shook my head. "Why would you be punishing Stefan by kissing me?" I challenged.

"Well, he cares about you," Damon started. "I mean, not…in _that _way, obviously." He made a face. "But, as a friend. And getting to you would get to him, which would inevitably punish him. Stefan doesn't have many...uh..._friends_." Damon nodded his head in an awkward situation.

I rubbed my head. "What would you even _want _to punish him for?" I asked, half convinced that this "apology" was really just a way of getting into my head about Stefan. Probably not even remotely true, anyway.

"Oh, that's in the past," he said quickly. "I don't even wanna bring it up." I was quiet. "Let's just say that the men in the Salvatore family have been…_cursed _with sibling rivalry." He smiled at me. "And it all started with the original Salvatore brothers," Damon added, gesturing to the registry.

"How so?" I asked, getting slightly intrigued. I knew that if I exited this room, I would eventually see my mom _somewhere, _and I would have to explain why I wasn't with Tyler. Might as well make the best of a sticky situation.

"Well, the Salvatore name was practically royalty in this town until the war," Damon explained. "There was a battle here—"

Tanner's history lessons finally paid off. "The Battle of Willow Creek," I filled in.

"Right."

"We talked about it in class." I sighed and tapped my fingers against the side of my dress. "Confederate soldiers fired on a church with civilians inside."

Damon spoke again. "What the history books left out was that the people that were killed"—he circled me, and I turned to face him as he walked in another direction—"they weren't there by accident. They were believed to be union sympathizers, so some of the founders on the confederacy side back then wanted them rounded up and burned alive," he said, his voice going up a pitch as he stopped to look at a model of a church beneath a light in the room. I walked over to him, now intrigued.

Damon began again. "Stefan and Damon had someone they loved very much in that church." He paused and looked at the model. "And someone else that they loved went to rescue her, and she ended up getting stuck in there, too. When Stefan and Damon went to rescue them, they were shot." He looked up at me. "Murdered in cold blood."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Who was the person in the church that they wanted to save?" I asked.

He looked at me intensely. "A woman, I guess." He was quiet, and so was I. "Doesn't it always come down to the love of a woman?"

I was quiet for a moment, deciding whether or not to carry out this conversation. I took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry that you and Stefan have this thing between you two – a rivalry, jealousy, whatever you want to call it." I sighed and tilted my head at him. "And I hope you two can work it out."

"I hope so, too," he whispered. I took in a shaking breath.

"And I also need you to recognize that _we _can never happen," I said, gesturing between us. "Not now, not _ever_. Caroline means too much to me to hurt her again. I'm different now."

Damon sighed. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable around me, Anastasia, if you should believe anything, you should believe that." Something about the way he looked at me told me that he was telling the truth, at least parts of it. "I have a bad habit of hurting the people that care about me."

I stared at him for a moment before I let a small smile onto my face. "You and me both." I gestured towards the door. "Now come on, let's go," I said and walked around him. Damon followed me out, and we met up with Stefan, Shelby, and Caroline outside underneath the tent that was set up for the party.

"What'd we miss?" Damon sung.

Stefan smiled and offered a drink to his brother. "Drink, Damon?" he asked. Damon looked at Caroline and Shelby before looking back at his brother.

"No, thanks. I'll pass."

Stefan raised the glass to Damon and smiled, and they both stared at each other for a long time. Things were starting to get awkward, and I remembered what Damon said to me. I decided to lighten the awkwardness.

"Stefan?" I asked, and he turned his head to me. "Do you think I can have a dance?" Stefan turned to me.

"Absolutely," he said, smiling. I smiled back at him and we moved out to the dance floor.

"You enjoying the party?" Stefan asked me as we swayed back and forth on the dance floor. I nodded at him.

"Yeah, it's fun." I glanced around the room. "I haven't seen my mom anywhere, so that's a plus." I looked back at him and grinned. "You?"

Stefan shrugged. "Could be better," he admitted as he spun me around. "Damon's interruption on you, me, and Shelby wasn't all that fantastic."

"Oh, he's your brother," I tried. "It can't _honestly _be that bad. Damon explained why he is the way he is and I understand. He even apologized to me."

"For what?" Stefan asked, confused.

I sighed. "Long story," I said, and he nodded in understanding. "Hey, I have a question for you."

"Go ahead," Stefan approved.

"This whole thing with you and Damon," I began. "Does it have to do with Katherine or Elizabeth?"

Stefan stared at me for a moment. "You know about them?" he asked. I laughed slightly.

"Shelby's my best friend and it comes up in every conversation that Damon and I have for some reason," I spoke and looked at him with wonder as Stefan looked down at the ground while still swaying us to the rhythm of the tempo. "So…does it?" I asked.

"Yeah," Stefan said after a while.

"Were they sisters or something?" I inquired. Stefan shook his head.

"They weren't even friends. Not until the end," he responded. "Anastasia, why are you asking me this?" Normally, if someone else said it, it would've sounded snappish, but I could tell that Stefan was just curious.

I shrugged. "I don't know, call it curiosity or something." I looked at him. "I mean, you're the mystery guy and everything. But it doesn't hurt to talk about the mystery once in a while," I suggested.

He sighed. "Yeah, it's not really something I like to talk about," Stefan admitted.

I nodded at him. "I get that." I paused. "But…we're friends, right?" I asked him.

Stefan was quiet for a moment before he nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, of course, Ana, sure we are," he agreed.

"Good," I said, taking out a breath. "I just want you to know that if you need someone, I'm here for you. Reformed and no judgment." I smiled at him.

Stefan laughed. "I'll be sure to take you up on that offer sometime," he agreed, and the song ended, pulling us apart. I sighed.

"Well," I began. "Thank you for the dance, Mister Salvatore."

"Anytime, Miss Miller," Stefan played along, and I smiled at him before spotting something in my vision, only to realize that it was my mom. I sighed heavily.

"Excuse me, Stefan," I said, turning in the other direction, away from my mom to avoid the confrontation of the situation. I went inside of the Lockwood Mansion and walked around carefully, trying to find Tyler. So far, I couldn't find him, but I figured that it would be okay – just as long as my mother didn't follow me in.

Just as I was about to go back to the party, I spotted something strange out of the corner of my eye. It was Logan Fell – smiling flirtatiously at Jenna Sommers, Elena's aunt who had taken them in three years ago after the plane crash. I knew that look when I saw it – he was intending on putting her in his bed tonight, I was sure of it.

Then what was he doing with my _mom_?

I shivered and turned away. I didn't want to deal with the adult side of life. It was just _weird. _

So, instead, I went into the bathroom to reapply my lipstick that had begun to fade since earlier in the afternoon. I met up with Caroline, who was doing the same.

"Hey," I said as I walked up to her. She nodded at me.

"Hey." Did she know what Damon tried to do? Or what was going on with me and Damon for that part? Sure enough, she began her line of questioning. "So what'd you and Damon talk about?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing," I tried. I grabbed my lip gloss from my bag and applied it without need to look at where I was painting. I rubbed my lips together and resumed. "He just told me this story about the original Salvatore brothers." Well, it _was _the truth.

"Oh," Caroline said and leaned forward to reapply her lipstick. I was silent, thinking about it, but then I saw something strange.

"What is that?" I asked, looking at the indentations in Caroline's neck.

"Hm?" Caroline returned quietly, rubbing her lips together. I reached forward and tried to pull up her scarf to get a better picture. "Don't!" Caroline snapped.

But there was something wrong. Something _really _wrong. And knowing Caroline, she wouldn't say anything about it unless she was forced to. Quickly, I reached forward and pulled up the scarf, and I was sure that my eyes deceived me. It was a _bite _mark. An actual _bite _mark. "Caroline, what happened?" I demanded.

She shrugged me off of her violently. "Nothing, okay?"

"That is _not _nothing," I said, raising my voice. "Did something hurt you?" I asked.

"No, okay, it—" She leaned forward and began to do something else with her makeup. "My mom would kill me," she whispered under her breath.

"Caroline, what are you talking about? What happened?" I asked.

"Nothing."

I looked at her for a moment before I saw something underneath of her see-through half jacket. It was _another _bite mark, I recognized as I pulled it down.

"What the hell is that?" I demanded, looking at her. "Caroline, what's going on? Did Damon hurt you?"

"No!" she objected and laughed. "Of course not!"

"Caroline, I'm just trying to help you—"

"No, you're not," Caroline snapped. "You keep trying to convince everyone else that you're a good girl now, Ana, but you're not, so just _stop _trying to help. God." Angrily, she walked out of the room, leaving me to gawk at the seriousness of the situations.

Bite marks on her body? Her abrasiveness?

Something was definitely wrong.

And I had a feeling that it had _everything _to do with Damon.

* * *

With the intent of speaking my mind, I looked all over to face Damon. What could he have done to her? Drugs? Some kind of kinky sex stuff? Who the hell was into _biting _these days? The thought made me sick to my stomach.

I finally found him, walking leisurely up the stairs from the backyard. I walked down the own set of stairs out of the backdoor and angrily walked towards him, shoving him once.

"You are a _sick _son of a bitch," I snarled. He looked at me, and I couldn't tell whether or not he was amused. Probably was. "What the hell is wrong with you? You better stay away from Caroline or so help me God, I will do something about it," I threatened angrily.

"Anastasia—"

"No," I snapped, cutting him off. "Don't. Got it? _Stay away from her_," I said before brushing past him to go to the only person who would know what Damon was capable of – his brother.

"Stefan," I said, catching his attention away from Shelby. Shelby looked at me and Stefan looked at her once before he walked over to me. I saw her watch us, but I knew she couldn't hear.

"What is it, Anastasia, what's wrong?"

"You're brother's a _sicko_," I snapped. He blinked once "There are bite marks _all _over Caroline's body. And he has her all confused and messed up and _angry_. I have _no _idea what's going on." Stefan looked down at the grass and nodded. I started at him. "Why don't you look surprised? Or at least grab _pitchforks _or something."

Stefan looked at me once. "Um…" he trailed off. "I'm…handling it."

I stared blankly before speaking. "Handling it?" I repeated. "Stefan, you _handling _it isn't going to do anything. Arrest him or _something, _I mean…I don't see you 'handling it' right now, are you?" I challenged.

"Anastasia, please, I—" He looked at me once. "I don't expect you to understand…"

"What? That your brother's a kinky son of a bitch?" I said, my voice a little louder. I looked around me and lowered my voice. "Stefan, just tell me _what _the hell is going on."

He sighed. "Look, there are things you don't know, okay? Things that I would like to tell you, but I can't."

"I'm not asking you to give me your entire life's story in a night, Stefan," I snapped. "All I want you to do is recognize the fact that your brother is _biting _my best friend. And I want you to do something about it other than 'handle it'." I mocked.

"Ana, I need you to trust me."

I blinked at him. "_Trust_?" I snapped. "You want me to _trust _you? How do I know you're not doing the same thing to my other best friend?"

Things were quiet for a moment, and Stefan looked somewhere else. Just as I was about to turn my head, he looked back at me and sighed. "I'm _so _sorry, Ana. I have to go."

I spun around on my heel as he walked away. "What do you mean you have to go?" I said, enraged. But he was long gone. "_What the hell_?" I muttered under my breath.

"Anastasia, what happened?" Shelby asked, coming up to me. I looked into the sea of people and realized I lost Stefan in the crowd I turned around to her.

"Don't move," I demanded and walked up to her. I examined her neck and walked around to look at her back.

"What the hell are you doing?" Shelby asked me, confused. I found no evidence of any bite marks to my delight.

"Okay, good, Stefan's not doing it to you." I let out a sigh of relief. "Your boyfriend's brother has some _really disgusting _sex ideas," I snarled as I pulled her with me.

"What are you talking about, Anastasia?"

"I'll explain later," I promised. "But, right now, we need to find Caroline."

* * *

"Caroline?" I sung as I walked outside, looking for her. Shelby was looking inside the mansion, seeing as we had way too much ground to cover.

Suddenly, I saw her. "Caroline," I repeated and walked as fast as I could in the four inch heels that I burdened. I groaned. "_There _you are. I've been looking everywhere for you," I told her. She was frozen in place, and in the dim light, I walked up to her to see her stiffened, and I knew from experience that she was going to break. "Caroline, are you all right?" I asked.

She turned to me and panted heavily. "Yeah," said Caroline, holding her chest. "I'm fine." She began to hyperventilate.

"W-What happened?"

"I'm fine." She hyperventilated faster.

"Caroline, you're _not_ fine, you're shaking." I reached out and touched her arm, wondering what I could do. "Seriously, what happened—"

"I'm fine. I'm fine."

I could see her, breaking out into tears. My heart sunk. "Come here, come here," I soothed, bringing her into my arms. Who the hell did this to her? What the hell even happened?

Caroline sobbed into my shoulder, and I tried to keep her stable as I walked her out of the backyard and texted Shelby to meet us at my car so we could finally go home.

* * *

**Only two more chapters until Stefan explains to Anastasia that's he's a vampire and everything just blows the fuck up. Because The Vampire Diaries just likes to do that to you. **

**Please review :) **

**I'll update ASAP. **

_**Love, **_

_**BellaSalvatore1918**_

_**X**_


	5. You're Undead to Me

**This episode was a little boring, to be honest. The next few chapters are all pretty boring; I don't think it gets interesting until Bloodlines, really. You know, you re-watch Season 1 and you're all like "I miss this" but then you realize that half of the season was a little boring unless you were Stelena hardcore. I was back in 2009, and then in 2010-2012 I was Delena, but then I turned Anti-Elena. **

**Best. Decision. Ever. **

**Anyways, enjoy the chapter! Tell me what you think at the end. **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot**

* * *

**You're Undead to Me**

"Stefan hasn't talked to me in four days," Shelby said, slightly angry, as we stopped by her locker early that morning. It was true – Stefan had been absent from school _and _had not returned any of Shelby's texts or phone calls. She eventually stopped trying at my advice. "I think you scared him off."

I frowned at her. "He deserved it. There's a secret in that family, I know it." I crossed my arms and leaned against her locker pod. "I _still _have no idea what Damon did to Caroline. She doesn't remember anything."

Shelby turned to me. "Did you ever stop to think about Stefan in that situation?" she snapped at me. I listened to her as she went on. "What if he didn't know what was going on with Damon?"

"But he did!" I exclaimed. She grimaced. "He was hardly surprised when I told him that there were bite marks all over Caroline's body and thought it had something to do with Damon."

"Damon's his _brother_, Anastasia, I'm sure he wasn't just going to turn him into the cops at the first sight of trouble," she reasoned.

I let out a sigh. "Maybe," I admitted. "But I get this…bad feeling from the both of them. Like there's a secret that they keep avoiding. Damon keeps bringing those two girls up, but he's so _vague _about it."

Shelby looked at me pointedly. "Are you sure this has nothing to do with the fact that you're secretly in love with Damon and Caroline got to him first."

I looked at her, my eyes sharp. "I am _not _secretly in love with Damon."

"Come on, Anastasia, the guy is _exactly _your type. Tall, dark, handsome, wears a leather jacket, treats women like crap?"

"He's the _old _Anastasia's type," I pointed out, pointing a finger at her knowingly. "Not the new one. The new one is perfectly happy being single."

Shelby let out an exhale. "Well, you better teach me how you can be so contempt with it," she demanded. "Because I'm starting to get the feeling that Stefan's going to dump me soon."

I let out a sigh as she grabbed a book from her locker. "Listen, Shelby, I really didn't mean to cause anything between you two," I began. "It's just…maybe you're better off, you know?" I suggested. She nodded in the slightest. "Maybe…you learned from this and now you can learn to be more accepting of guys that come around. You'll find someone eventually," I tried.

Shelby sighed. "Maybe you're right," she admitted. "I just wish he'd _call _and tell me already." She paused. "What if something happened to him, Anastasia?" she said worriedly.

"Give it a few more days," I began, trying not to fuel her 'kidnapping' theories that always ran through her head. "We'll take it to Caroline's mom if something's really wrong."

"I want _in-your-face _sexy," Caroline raved as she walked down the hallway, passing out flyers for the annual _Sexy Suds _car wash here at Mystic Falls High. "I mean, it's a fundraiser for God's sake," she said, laughing loudly as she turned the corner with the other cheerleaders by her side.

"Unbelievable," Shelby muttered under her breath. "It's like nothing ever even _happened_."

"Well, that's Caroline for you," I murmured. "You never really know how she's going to react to something."

Before we could continue the conversation at hand, another person interrupted the conversation.

"Hey," Stefan said as he approached us. His eyes flickered to me for a moment before he looked at Shelby. "Shelby…can we talk?"

I looked at both of them and realized that right now was not the place to ask about what he had done with Damon. I gestured behind me. "I'll meet you two in History," I said with a part, avoiding Stefan's gaze skillfully as I turned.

A couple minutes later, Stefan and Shelby crossed the threshold of the classroom, side by side. There was still some tension evident, but there was no break up…at least for now. She walked to her seat with a small smile towards Stefan, and I sighed while tapping my pencil on the paper. The substitute was late, but then again, class didn't start for another five minutes.

"Anastasia," Stefan said, his voice low as he sat down in his usual seat next to me. I flickered my gaze towards him to find him leaning forward at his desk to talk to me. I leaned back in my chair.

"Stefan," I greeted. "Where were you the last couple of days?" I inquired.

"Dealing with my brother," Stefan returned, and I stared at him for a moment.

"So you did _deal _with Damon?" I questioned, slightly suspicious. Why would it take so long to "deal" with his brother?

"Yes."

"For four consecutive days?"

Stefan sighed. "Anastasia, listen, you have every right to be upset over the way I reacted at the party, and I will explain it all to you if you let me."

I frowned at him for a moment before I sighed. "You know what, Stefan, don't worry about it," I said at last. But I wasn't in the mood to add a smile. "You said you dealt with Damon, you dealt with Damon. I haven't seen him around, so I believe you." I paused and leaned towards him. "But if I _do _see him around, I'll know you're lying."

"You won't," Stefan said immediately. "He's gone. I promise. He will not bother you or harm Caroline ever again."

His voice…it was cold as ice. I felt my skin create goose bumps at Stefan's icy tone. Was he…_serious_? What did he do?

But it didn't matter to me. As long as Damon was gone, I didn't really care what Stefan did.

For Shelby's sake, though, I hoped she would find out what he did to his brother to get him gone.

"What did Stefan have to say?" I asked her a little while later in the day when it was almost over. Shelby sighed.

"Well, he apologized," she admitted. "So, that was a start. I asked him if he was going to break up with me and he was so defensive about it, so I guess that's a good sign," Shelby continued.

"Well, that's good," I supported.

"Yeah…" Shelby trailed off, unsure. "Ana, I just…you know, I think you're right. There is something a little…weird about him." She shrugged. "He said he'd explain everything to me at the Grill later today, but I don't know. I thought about what you said and...he _is _really secretive," she admitted. I shrugged.

"So just hear him out," I suggested. "Decide then."

She sighed. "Yeah, but I'm afraid I'm just going to give into him and not be serious enough," Shelby confided. "I mean...have you _seen _his eyes?"

"Yes, Shelby, I've seen his eyes."

"They're just so gorgeous and green and–"

"Shelby?" I shouted, pulling her out of the trance she was in. Shelby gave a large exhale.

"I need help," she whined.

I shrugged. "Just try not to look into his eyes then."

She frowned at me. "Why, thank you, Anastasia, you're such a big help!" I frowned at her for a moment. "I have a better idea, genius. Come with me to the Grill."

I blinked. "What?" I asked, confused.

"Well, okay, maybe not _with _me," she admitted. "But...like a little later or something. Distract yourself. Make it look like you're just there, but make sure I'm staying on task," Shelby mapped out; but I wasn't so sure.

Crashing the party to make sure that she didn't do anything drastic? It seemed a little invading. I didn't want to get into that. "Shelby, I don't know…" I trailed off. "Besides, you'll be fine. You don't need my help with him."

Shelby squared her jaw. "Just this morning you said that there was something fishy going on with Stefan and now you're taking it back?" she challenged.

"No!" I said, shaking my head. "I still think something's wrong, I just don't want to invade into your personal life."

"It's not invading if I ask." I was silent. "Please?" she added. "Please? For me?"

I thought about it for a moment before I sighed, giving into Shelby like everyone else always did when she asked nicely.

* * *

When I walked into the Grill, expecting to see Stefan and Shelby somewhere, I was deeply disappointed. Instead, Shelby was playing a game of pool with Matt and Elena, while Stefan was nowhere to be seen. I raised my eyebrows and walked up to them, Matt and Elena talking about their brother and sister hooking up.

_Vicki and Jeremy_? I thought inside my head.

"Hey," I said as I walked up to all of them, and the three people in front of me gave me a smile – though Shelby's was limp and not that happy about it. I sighed deeply and looked at her, knowing. "How late is he?"

"Hitting the hour mark," Shelby admitted. I sucked air through closed teeth. "What if something really _did _happen to him this time?" she asked, looking at all of us surrounding the pool table.

Matt laughed. "Shelby, don't worry about it. Relax," he instructed. Matt turned around and grabbed a cue stick from the rack and tossed onto me. "Wanna join, Ana?"

I nodded and put my jacket down on a table next to the billiard table and grabbed the cue stick from Matt's hand. "Who's breaking?"

"I will," Elena called. Matt racked the pool balls and Elena broke the formation with a semi-good hit. Each of us took turns hitting the balls into different pockets to score while we talked about Shelby's issue.

"I mean, _I _think he's a good guy but…what if he's not?" Shelby aimed and hit an orange ball, and it missed the pocket by a quarter of an inch. She straightened and sighed, turning her head to Matt. "You're a guy, what do you think?" she asked.

Matt frowned. "Why? What's he doing?"

"He's brothers with a narcissistic bastard for starters," I mumbled under my breath as I aimed for one of the striped balls. It went into the pocket with ease, though barely rescuing the white ball. I smiled and lifted from the table, and Elena raised her hand and we high-fived.

"Ignore her," Shelby said pointedly. "She has a problem with Stefan's brother."

"The guy from the graveyard?" Elena filled in, curious. I nodded.

"Caroline's ex-boyfriend," I added. Elena took in a deep breath and I stepped back up to the table to hit another ball.

I exhaled. "The problem with Stefan is that he's secretive," I began, aiming at the ball. I looked up at Shelby before I made my hit. "Now you can't disagree with that," I shot at her and took my hit, but the cue ball went in the wrong direction and only hit the side of the table. I straightened and cursed under my breath.

Shelby sighed. "Yeah, okay, I can agree with that. That's mostly the problem. He's always so _vague _and makes _me _feel like I'm doing all the talking. I just wish he would tell me what he's hiding from me," she admitted. Matt laughed and stepped up to the plate to take his turn.

"What's he hiding from you?" Matt asked with a chuckle. "That he's a serial killer and he keeps a clown suit in his trunk?"

Shelby shot him a look. "Don't even joke about clowns, they're creepy," she warned. Matt laughed and took his shot, sparing no mercy on the ball that was his target. It went into the pocket and he eased up for another shot. "I mean…" Shelby sighed and continued. "What do we_ really _know about him?"

"He's great at football," Elena started with a shrug.

"He's a loner," I filled in.

"And, as much as I hate saying it," Matt started. "He might be a nice guy."

She looked at all of us. "So you all think I'm just being paranoid?"

"No," I answered before anyone else. "This is _concern, _Shelby. You're allowed to be _concerned _once in a while. I'm a little concerned myself."

"I think you should talk to him," Matt voiced.

Before we could continue the conversation, we were all interrupted. "Talk to who?" Stefan said, looking at all of us as we stopped our conversation and turned to him. He looked at Shelby. "I'm so sorry I'm late," he apologized sincerely.

"It's fine," Shelby breathed out slightly. "What happened? Are you okay?" She walked around Matt to meet up with Stefan.

"I got…held up," he said at last. "There was this…thing with my uncle…"

Shelby looked like she wanted to say more, but I could feel it when she realized that the fight wasn't worth it. "Okay…" she said, trailing off. "Come on, let's get something to eat," she suggested, and they walked off, leaving Matt, Elena, and I alone to finish our game.

"I've got to take off," Elena admitted, leaning forward and kissing Matt's cheek. "Caroline needs me to help out with the plans for the Sexy Suds wash." Elena sighed. "I swear, it just gets harder every hear." She looked at me. "Bye, Ana."

"Bye, Elena." With nothing more, she walked out of the Grill, and I looked at Matt.

"You wanna play some more?" I asked hopefully. Matt smiled and nodded, and we reset the game to play versus each other.

Fifteen to twenty minutes later, Matt sunk the eight ball into the corner right pocket, and I let out a laugh/cry of defeat. He chuckled at me as I put my face in my hands and laughed most of it off.

"How are you so good at this, Donovan?" I challenged.

"It's all in the wrist," he admitted. I frowned at him.

"You mean it's all in the _cheating_," I teased. He just laughed.

"You want a drink before we start another game?" he asked me.

I nodded as he walked past. "I'll reset," I called out. He put his thumb in the air for a thumbs-up and walked to the bar to get us a drink. I took all of the balls out of the pockets and began to reset the game. I glanced over to Stefan and Shelby's booth, as I did every once in a while to make sure that she wasn't getting overly attached and still standing on solid ground, but I only saw Shelby. I raised my eyebrows, but when I turned my head to the stairs that led up to the game table, I realized that Stefan was making his way towards me.

"Hey, Anastasia," Stefan greeted. I smiled lightly – but not fully – at him. I still didn't trust him all that much. With a brother like that, sometimes the peer pressure gets to you. I believed that Stefan was a good guy, but there was no harm in trying to keep a distance. It was too bad, though. He really was a great friend.

"Hey," I said slowly as I put the balls into the triangular shape to rack the pool balls.

"Are you…okay?" he asked me, surveying my eyes. I rolled the rack back and forth.

"I'm fine," I promised him. "I'm just trying to look after Shelby, that's all."

He raised his eyebrows at me. "What do you mean?"

"Where were you today?" I asked quickly, blurting out my thoughts. I sighed. It came out – I might as well go off of it. "You were an hour late, that's basically like standing someone up except you came _eventually_."

"I told you, something happened with my uncle. It was unavoidable."

"What was unavoidable?"

Stefan didn't say anything, and I just scoffed. "Yeah, okay, I get it." I put the rack down at the table and realized that I _really _didn't want to be at the restaurant anymore. I would tell Matt I was leaving after I told Shelby and – hopefully – she would come with me. I walked past Stefan and he grabbed my arm lightly.

"Anastasia, wait—"

"No, Stefan," I said, jerking my arm back from his light grasp. "Don't you get it? I _want _to be friends with you, but every question that I ask to get more of an understanding, I get a non-answer. I pushed Shelby to be with you, but right now, I just don't know anymore. If you can't share something as little as where you were for the last hour, than there is something _seriously _wrong." I paused to look at him. "What is so awful that you're afraid to tell me – or both of us for that matter?" I questioned.

"I know you," someone said, interrupting our conversation. I looked behind me to see an African-American old man, staring at Stefan. "_My God_."

Stefan raised his eyebrows. "I'm…sorry?"

"I know you," the man repeated. I looked up at Stefan, confused. "How can it be?"

"I think you have the wrong person, sir," Stefan pushed.

"You haven't aged a day," the man continued.

What the _hell _was that supposed to mean? I looked up at Stefan, but he shook his head. "I'm sorry, excuse me." He looked at me. "Hey, can I take you and Shelby home? Maybe we can all talk about it?" he offered, pulling me away from the man. I looked around the Grill, deeply confused. How could someone as old as my Grandma know _Stefan_? "Is that okay?" He pulled me towards Shelby's direction. I released my forearm from his grasp again.

"Wait, what was that?" I asked, pulling us to a stop.

Stefan looked at the man. "I-I don't know," he said. "Nothing."

I rolled my eyes. "Right. Okay. Nothing. Um." I looked at Stefan. "Will you tell Matt that I took Shelby home? Thanks." Without waiting for his response, I walked away from him and towards the booth that Shelby was in.

"Come on," I demanded, beckoning her up. "We're leaving."

She took a moment of hesitation, but finally nodded, and that made things a lot easier for me. I guess her talk with Stefan went about as good as mine did.

* * *

After the whole charade at the Grill, Shelby and I decided to spend the night together at her house. Her mom was still at work and her brother was in his room, doing whatever his brother did at night after school. Freshman stuff.

"This whole thing is just stressing me out!" Shelby groaned as she lay on her bed, stretched out. With slow movements, she straightened up from her bed and I pulled my knees tighter to my chest on her desk chair. "I mean, do I break up with him, do I not break up with him? Do I wait for him to break up with me?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, but what happened today was creepy." I shivered. "I mean, how could one of the oldest people in town remember _Stefan_?" I paused for a moment and felt like lightening the mood. With a shrug, I continued. "Maybe he's an alien," I suggested.

Shelby stared at me, open-mouthed, and took a pillow from her bed. I cowered for a moment and laughed as she threw it at me and it landed on the floor with a thump. "That's not even _funny_, Anastasia!" she shouted. I shrugged. "It's _my _joke. And it's _so _not even appropriate right now."

"Sorry, sorry," I said, mostly unapologetic. She sighed. "Maybe we should stop worrying about it. I mean, he's a guy, right? Maybe you can move on – find someone better?"

She collapsed back onto the bed and took out a deep breath. "The only thing better than Stefan would be Stefan," Shelby said with a sigh. "I mean, how much better could it get?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, maybe someone who doesn't always tell lies for a _living, _doesn't have a psychotic brother, or doesn't get recognized by old people." Shelby frowned. I sighed. "Come on, Shelby. Let's get something to eat."

Slowly, she made her way back up from the bed. "Like ice cream?"

I scoffed. "What else would we get?" I challenged. She smiled at me and got up from the bed and followed me down her staircase. But when we got halfway down, there was a noise of something clanking together.

Shelby pulled me to a stop and hissed in my ear. "What the hell is that?"

"I don't know!"

She looked around for a moment before she held up a hand at me and raced back up the stairs. I slowly made my way down the staircase. "Mrs. Matthews?" I asked, inching my way towards the kitchen where the sound was coming from with no weapon and no pursuit of attack. Without thinking, I walked through the threshold and nearly jumped out of my skin when Stefan was standing in the kitchen, cooking dinner. He looked up at me and raised his eyebrows.

"Anastasia?"

"Stefan?"

Suddenly, Shelby ran into the kitchen with a baseball bat, screaming on the top of her lungs. I got more scared of her at that moment than I did when I saw Stefan in the kitchen. She bent her knees and gripped the baseball bat hard, swinging it around with blind eyes. When she finally saw Stefan, she gripped the baseball bat tightly still but breathed a sigh of relief, which soon turned to rage.

"Stefan!" she yelled. "What the hell are you doing in my house?" she demanded.

Stefan gestured towards the attached dining room, and Shelby and I both looked behind us to see her brother eating something at the table.

"Your brother let me in," he said eventually. Shelby glared pointedly at her brother. "Hey, Shelby?"

Still holding the baseball bat firmly in her hand, she turned back to Stefan. "Hm?"

"Wanna put the baseball bat down?" he asked politely. I watched as she slowly put the baseball bat down on an empty dining table seat and looked at him with confusion.

"What are you doing?" she asked, quieter and nicer this time. He held up his knife.

"Dinner," he responded simply. "Collin told me that your favorite meal is Penne Pasta, and I happen to be a good cook," Stefan boasted and then looked at me. "It's a good thing I made enough for three."

I looked between Stefan and Shelby. "You know, maybe Collin and I should just go upstairs and eat on our own," I suggested with a tiny, awkward laugh. Who was I to impose on an apology dinner for a girlfriend and a boyfriend?

"No, no, please," Stefan began, stopping me from going upstairs with Collin, who was already probably in his room right now. "Anastasia….you deserve an explanation as well."

I looked back and forth between Stefan and Shelby again before I nodded. Shelby and I walked up to the counter that Stefan was cooking on in the center of the kitchen.

"You both want to know me, right?" he asked, looking between us. Both of us nodded and Stefan sighed. "Well, I figure if you're going to dump me – as a friend _and _as a boyfriend – you should at least…um…know who you're dumping." He paused. "So let's start with Katherine."

"Stefan—" Shelby began, but he cut her off.

"She was…_the _most beautiful girl that I had ever met." He looked up at Shelby and they were both silent. "She had this _perfect _olive skin. And…she had this laugh. It was ridiculous. I mean, her laugh made you laugh." He smiled at Shelby and I just watched as it unfolded. "And she was fun. She knew how to have a good time." Stefan took another pause. "But, Katherine was also very impatient and entitled and selfish and…um…_impulsive_. Enter Damon. He claimed he was with her first…I don't know. I do know that I did some things that I'm not proud of. And, my biggest regret is not being able to make it right before she died."

Shelby was quiet for a moment. "Stefan, I'm so sorry."

Stefan nodded and hung his head, but then he looked back up, at me this time.

"But before Katherine _ever _started," he began. I took in a breath. "There was Elizabeth. Beautiful as well, though, I didn't really see her in the way that…almost everyone else did. My brother and I were friends with her since childhood, she was a year or two younger than me, so she was a little more closer to me than Damon, but she was still friends with the both of us. She, however, had a little bit of a crush on Damon...not that she would admit it, obviously. He didn't know and she wasn't going to tell him, but Elizabeth and I could tell a lot of things about each other without anything being spoken." I listened intently as he paused. "It wasn't until Derek came along when Damon started seeing her a little more than just a friend."

"Derek?" I questioned. "Damon never mentioned a Derek."

Stefan shrugged. "Damon felt…_betrayed _by Derek when he started being…intimate with Elizabeth," Stefan said carefully. I nodded. "Damon wasn't _with _her then, but after he found out, it finally made him realize his feelings. After Damon told her how she felt, she was…terrified. She didn't want to break her relationship with either of them, but she knew that she had to. But that was Elizabeth for you – she was smart, kind, funny, and she wouldn't hurt _anyone _unless she knew that it was the right thing." Stefan sighed. "Anyway, she ended up getting involved with both of them and came to talk to me about it all the time. I was the only one who didn't care for her like that. Of course, Damon got suspicious and accused me of being with her too, once or twice, not that I ever did what he accused me of. Katherine came around eventually and stole Damon from Elizabeth, and soon they were all at a crossroads. Damon forced her to make a decision and...well, she did."

"Who did she choose?" I prompted.

"She didn't get to," Stefan admitted. "Before she was able to think about that, she heard about Katherine being caught in the fire. She went to save her. Derek heard about it and went after her."

"Derek died too?" I asked, partially shocked. What a messed up love _box_. Stefan nodded.

Shelby sighed. "Stefan, do you need help cooking?" she asked with a smile, lightening the mood. Stefan turned his head towards her and smiled.

"Of course."

I took in a deep breath as we began to shift to help Stefan cook. "You know, I _would_ say that I feel sorry for Damon, but I don't," I said after a while.

Stefan shrugged as Shelby got a pot from one of her cupboards and set it on the stove to cook the pasta. "I don't blame you," he admitted. "Especially after what he did the other night, again, I'm really sorry about that," he began.

I looked at him and realized that he was giving me a sincere apology. And what was the point of being a new and improved me if I couldn't forgive someone for a little mistake?

I nodded. "Don't worry about it." I gave him a smile and we continued cooking for dinner.

* * *

"I'm an avid reader. _Huge _Fitzgerald fan. _The Great Gatsby, _his masterpiece." Stefan chopped onions on a cutting board and turned to Shelby. I stood by the stove, cooking the pasta as I listened. "_But_, I'm no snob. I love some good Grisham." Without stopping, he continued with just one breath. "I think _Seinfeld _is the best American television show of the past fifty years—" Shelby opened her mouth to protest, but Stefan turned to her and covered over her protest with fast words. "_But_, _I Love Lucy _is all-time."

"Better," Shelby praised. "But I do _not _agree with the _Seinfeld _part." She smiled. "_That '70s Show _all the way."

I scoffed. "Don't let her fool you," I argued. "First of all, she only likes that show because of Ashton Kutcher and that one episode when they all got high and thought they saw aliens, and secondly: _Friends _trumps _everything_." I pointed out.

Shelby shrugged. "Yeah, okay, _Friends _was pretty good. But I think we can all agree that _I Love Lucy _was all-time," she compromised. I shrugged in response.

"The 'Loving Cup' episode is the best, I think," Stefan voiced. Shelby smiled at him. Stefan continued. "_Huge _Scorsese fan. I can watch _Taxi Driver _over and over again. As far as music, it's pretty much across the board: um, Dylan, Hendrix, Patsy, Willie, little Kanye…you know what?" Stefan looked at Shelby and me as we eyed him in curiosity. "I even like that one Miley song."

Shelby laughed through closed lips and that made Stefan chuckle in response. "Easy," he ordered.

"I didn't say anything!" she protested, but then patted his arm. "I'll be right back," she promised and left the kitchen for a moment. I sighed and left my station at the pasta, seeing as it had a couple minutes left. Stefan was getting ready to chop the garlic.

"This is for the garlic bread, right?" I asked him. He nodded. "Here, do you mind?" I asked. Stefan shook his head and handed me the knife, and I began to chop it. "Shelby doesn't really like garlic bread, but I'll only have some if you do," I looked at him pointedly.

"Are you kidding?" Stefan asked with a smile. "I love garlic bread. Just chop up the whole clove. Do you think that'll be enough?"

"No, I think we might be more," I admitted. He nodded and turned his back to grab some from Shelby's kitchen. Suddenly, my hand slipped, and I nicked the top of my finger. I inhaled through my teeth. "Crap. Ow."

"You okay?" Stefan asked, turning to me quickly. I nodded.

"Yeah." Blood dripped fast from my finger. "Yeah, yeah, let me just clean it off." I walked over to the sink quickly and began to wash the blood off with water, but it only made my finger sting more. Damn knives.

But as I washed my finger, I let my eyes wander up to the window behind the sink, and I saw something…I wasn't sure what it was, but it was strange. It was Stefan – and his eyes…they were monstrous. There were branch-like veins growing underneath of his eyes and – though I couldn't tell much from the window, his eyes were a different color…like blood.

"Stefan?" I asked, confused, and turned around. But just as I turned around, Stefan turned his shoulder, and I grabbed a kitchen towel from the counter and applied pressure on my finger as I knotted my eyebrows to Stefan. "Stefan, your face…"

"Yeah, yeah, uh…I think I got something in my eye."

"Well turn around and we'll wash it out, what's going on?" I asked. He stayed with his back to me. "Stefan?" I asked quieter and softer. "Stefan, seriously, what's wrong?"

With an exhale, Stefan turned around, and his normal face showed to me. I looked at him, confused.

"Okay, well _I've _clearly inhaled something I shouldn't have today," I mumbled under my breath. Shelby came out of the hallway and I looked at her with an exhale. "Okay, good, I'm going to go to the restroom and I'll be right back." Quickly, I left the kitchen, probably leaving Shelby confused. When I shut the door to the bathroom, I panted heavily. What the hell was wrong with me? I was so _sure _of it. It was just like the cut on Stefan's hand. I was being ridiculous. Paranoid.

I was being silly. There was nothing wrong with Stefan.

So, with a sigh, I washed my hands, grabbed a Band-Aid, and went back to the kitchen to finish the meal with my friends.

* * *

As punishment for quitting the cheerleading team, I had been enlisted to help Caroline with manning the money table at the Sexy Suds Car Wash to help raise money for the high school. Caroline already briefed me on the "no giving freebies to other people" spiel, but she left to go get towels that Elena had informed her were all out. So, I ran the money table by myself.

"That'll be twenty dollars," I said for the ten millionth time that day. But when I looked up, I saw the old man from the Grill the other day. "Oh," I said slowly. "I know you. You were talking to my friend at the Grill yesterday."

"Well, I…I thought it was somebody I knew," the man admitted in a low voice.

"Stefan Salvatore?" I questioned again. I knew I shouldn't have been digging, but this was the only thing that kept nagging at me. Something that I hadn't told Shelby about.

"No, it can't be." The man shrugged. "It was just my mind playing tricks on me."

I took in a breath. "Well…I mean, there must've been a reason for thinking you've seen him before," I reasoned. He nodded. "So, where do you think you saw him before?'

"Well, when I first moved here, I stayed at the Salvatore boarding house," the man explained. I hadn't _been _to Stefan's house, but from what Shelby told me, I was sure that it was definitely possible. "Stefan was just…passing through to visit his uncle. I mean, none of us knew he was even here until the attack."

"The attack?"

"His uncle got killed," the man responded quickly. I knotted my eyebrows together. "Mauled by an animal in the woods."

"His uncle?" What was his name…what was his name? "Zach?" I finally remembered.

"Mm-mm. Joseph."

"I'm sorry, sir," I said after a while. "I'm…I'm actually not familiar with the story."

"Well, how could you? I mean, this happened _years _ago."

Suddenly, someone interrupted our conversation. It was Tiki, one of the cheerleaders. "Grandpa," she said empathetically, with a bit of a whine. "You've got to go. Mom wants you home, okay?" The man grumbled and Tiki turned to me. "He wasn't bugging you, was he? He's a little Alzy-heimer." She smiled at her grandfather.

"No, he was sweet," I insisted. I watched as Tiki's grandfather walked away, and I got up from my chair and let her deal with the money table for now. I walked up to the man and touched his arm lightly. "Hey, sir, I'm sorry. Um…Are you sure that the man that you knew was Stefan Salvatore?" I asked him.

"Yes," the man said after a while. "I remember his ring and his brother…?"

"Damon?" How was I not surprised that Damon was involved in all of this as well?

"Yeah. Stefan and Damon Salvatore," the man said slowly.

I looked at him for a moment. "Do you…do you remember when this was? That you knew them?" I asked.

"It was early June," the man responded, as if he was wondering the _exact _date. "Nineteen fifty-three."

I stared at the man blankly for a moment. "N-Nineteen fifty-three?" I stuttered.

He nodded. "Yeah. June, nineteen fifty-three."

I stared at him for another moment before I realized that I was holding the man up from getting home. "T-Thank you," I stuttered again. "I appreciate it."

"No problem." Without anything else, the man left, and I turned around, partially stumbling. There was no way that could be true. What did Tiki say? The man had Alzheimer's. Yeah. That was it. There was no freaky thing that was going on with Stefan or anything.

But as I turned around and saw Stefan, washing a car, I realized. The cut on his hand that I could've _sworn _was there? That…demonic face that I saw in the window? I shivered. The…fact that Stefan was here in _nineteen fifty-three _and here no with no age difference?

Maybe I wasn't paranoid. What if something was…wrong with him?

I didn't know what it was, but I was going to find out. Whatever it takes.

And I realized, as I spotted Logan Fell out of the corner of my eye, smitten with Jenna Sommers, that I was going to have to break out the old Anastasia to get what I needed.

"Here goes nothing," I murmured under my breath. I didn't really feel bad for doing it to Logan, I felt bad for myself. And my mom. I wanted to tell her about Jenna as soon as I could, but now I would have to let her find out on her own.

_"Fine," _Jenna sighed after a while._ "You can come to my house for dinner – but you're eating leftovers." _

_"Ooh,"_ Logan responded with an arrogant smile on his face. I gagged inside of my mouth as I approached them. Logan's eyes went slightly wide when he saw me and just gave a nervous smile to Elena's aunt. I tapped my foot and beckoned him over to me. _"I'll be right back Jenna." _With nothing else, he walked over to me and I crossed my arms over my chest. Logan laughed nervously.

"Anastasia!" he exclaimed with a smile. "How nice to see you—"

"_Cut _the crap, Fell," I snapped. He flinched. "I know you're two-timing my mom with Elena's aunt."

He paused for a moment. "You know about me and your mom?" I squared my jaw and nodded. He looked arrogant for a moment. "Then you must also know that we've discussed being able to see other people."

Now, if I hadn't been a cheater _once upon a time, _I might've fallen for that trick. But it was the oldest one in the book – the one that had _some _truth to it.

"Well, I didn't know that," I said at last. "But, as you know, Elena's one of my closest friends. So when she found out from Jenna that you two had dated back in high school and dumped her, she kind of let it slip." I shrugged and Logan swallowed. "So, it kind of got me thinking and…I realized that Jenna must be _so _partial to taking her back as a boyfriend, isn't she?"

Logan was silent. I smiled. "Yeah, that's what I thought." I sighed and shifted. "So, listen, I need a favor from you. No questions asked, no telling my mother, got it?" I tilted my head at him. "Or I tell Jenna that you're screwing my mom just as you're screwing her." I smiled lightly.

Logan gulped and, after a while, he nodded. "Okay, fine." He paused. "What do you want?"

"You have access to news files from a long time ago, right?" Logan raised his eyebrows. "Let's say…the fifties?" Logan nodded. "Good. I need access to them today. Just for an hour or two." I shrugged. "And I _won't _tell Jenna _and _my mother that you're a cheating, lying _scumbag_," I sang. I felt my stomach twist. I hated acting this way again, but it was for something I needed desperately. Something that I feared would be terrifying.

I couldn't let my best friend walk into love blind. I couldn't be friends with someone I was so skeptical about. Maybe if I put this idea to rest I would be over and done with. Stefan would be on my good list and everything would be okay.

Logan blinked. "Seriously? That's all you want from me?" I nodded. He rubbed his head. "Yeah, okay. Sure. I'm leaving to go now, come on." I smiled at him once and we walked to his van to go to the new station.

* * *

"You can, uh, pull all the remote footage right up on the screen," Logan told me as we walked to an office in the back of the station. He turned to me as he opened the door. "Am I allowed to ask what you're looking for?" he asked.

I narrowed my eyes at him, but I decided to tell him the partial truth. "An incident from nineteen fifty-three. _If _it even happened. At the Salvatore boarding house."

He nodded for a moment before his cell phone rang and he answered it. "Yeah?" Logan paused. "Fire? Okay, I'll be down in a minute." He looked at me. "You think you can figure it out, Anastasia?" he asked me.

I leaned back in my chair and smiled. "Oh, most definitely." I fluttered my eyelashes. "Thank you, Logan."

"You're _not _going to tell Jenna?"

I shrugged and held my hands up in the air. "Your scumbag business is _your _scumbag business." I put my hands down in my lap and gestured towards the door. "I won't be in here long, I promise." I smiled.

Logan looked at me for a moment before inhaling and walking to the door. "Brady, down in tech, can help you with anything you need." He opened the door. "Bye, Ana."

"Bye, scumbag." I grinned. He squared his jaw, nodded once, and then left the room, leaving me still smiling. I sighed and straightened in the chair and began to search for what I needed.

I was right – I figured everything out just fine. I typed in what I wanted in the search box and, sure enough, there was one match. My heart pounded faster and faster by the minute as I clicked on it. A video instantly popped up – the footage a grainy black and white.

_"This is Franklin Fell reporting to you from the Salvatore boarding house, where a brutal animal attack has ended in tragedy." _I watched intently. _"Hey, they're bringing out the body. See if you can get closer." _I stared at the screen as a gurney rolled past with police officers on it. Franklin looked back at the screen. _"Is that the nephew?" _

Suddenly, the picture changed, and the video zoomed into a dark spot in the scene. Sirens wailed in the background, and I squinted at the computer screen to see a dark figure in the shadows. I pressed a few buttons on the keyboard and had the video enlarged, and I was shocked about what I saw.

It _was _Stefan. The same Stefan. No different features or anything – it was _Stefan Salvatore. _

So how the hell did he still look the same as when the footage was filmed?

* * *

It couldn't be. This was impossible.

I had to be dreaming. I had to be dreaming and I couldn't wake up. I knew from firsthand experience that people weren't really who they said they were and they lied and they cheated, but _this_?

What is _this_?

I'm not a believer. There's no way in _hell _that I would ever believe in things that go bump in the night. Things that don't _exist. _

But every bone in my body was saying that they _did _exist. That I _did _believe.

After all, how could I deny reality? How could I deny everything that was put right in front of my face?

I was like a zombie as I stumbled into my bedroom and slammed the door shut, though I wasn't sure why since my mom wasn't home. She wouldn't be home for a while now since I knew what the source of her distractions were. But I needed to be shielded from the world.

How was it possible?

I dug my nails into clenched fists, confused and wrought.

Someone who never grows old. Heals five times as fast as normal people do. Changes in ways that can't be formed into a description.

I read that vampire series. I was _not _oblivious to the world of fiction.

But that was all it was – fiction?

Right?

But here it was – the evidence. All pointing towards the one thing that I dreaded the most.

Girls bitten.

Girls like Caroline.

Bodies drained of blood.

Bodies like Vicki's.

Remembering Vicki made me realize something. _Matt. _Our conversation as we walked across campus the night after Vicki was attacked. I asked him what kind of animal it was.

_A vampire. _

And, just like that, I knew.

I don't know what compelled me to do it, but I rushed out of my house _fast. _I scrambled in my car, looking for the sheet of paper I had printed from the news office.

Stefan's address. The Salvatore house.

I wasted no time with my led foot, racing to Stefan's house as soon as possible.

_Vampire. _

_Vampire. _

_Vampire._

_Vampire. _

The word repeated in my head as I pressed down on the pedal harder. I would confront him. I would ask him why he killed all those people I had seen on the news. Why he attacked Vicki. Why he befriended me. Why he decided to get all close and snuggly with my best friend.

Was this all…a sick _game_? I thought that Stefan was different from his brother, but what if I was wrong? What if Stefan was just as sadistic as Damon?

What if Stefan was worse.

When I arrived at Stefan's house, I had no idea what I was doing. Confronting a vampire? How insane was I? He could rip me apart and not think twice? I was being stupid, I was being an idiot, and I was being—

Before I could turn away from the cove of the front door, the door swung wide open, and I turned around to see Stefan, his eyes full of anger and shock. I let my voice waver as I remembered what I was going to say to him, but everything just slipped my mind. I had no idea what I was going to say.

I let out a nervous breath. I was so scared. I was terrified.

But that didn't stop me from exclaiming the only thought that was on my mind. "What are you?"

* * *

**Believe me, I tried to write the end of this chapter ten different ways, but it all kind of just came out like the show. Eh, whatever, I'm not feeling it today. **

**Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed :) As always, please tell me what you thought of it!**

**_Love, _  
**

**_BellaSalvatore1918_**

**_X_**


	6. Lost Girls

**So, this episode was one of the most action-packed episodes and (for some reason) it's like the second shortest chapter I've written on this story. Sorry about that. I try to make my chapters as long as possible, but the truth is, I'm a terrible writer anyway, so what's the point? But, I'm still appreciative of everyone who sticks with me! Thank you all :) **

**So, there's a poll on my profile asking which story I should update over the break. If you'd do me a favor and go vote on that poll or leave me a review or drop me a PM, I'd really appreciate it! I have all the time in the world and I figure, I might as well do something about it. **

**Enjoy! Tell me what you think when you've finished!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**Lost Girls**

"What are you?" I demanded again when Stefan didn't answer. My heart pounded fast and I watched as the realization slowly grew onto his face.

"You know," he said carefully, nodding. I swallowed.

"No," I said, and I believed it. "I don't." He couldn't be a vampire. This was crazy. This was impossible.

"Yes," Stefan pushed. "You do, or you wouldn't be here." I gulped again and shook my head.

"No," I whispered. "No, no, _no_," I repeated over and over again, touching my head. "It's not possible, it _can't _be possible." I squared my jaw. He inched towards me, and I backed up. Was he going to hurt me? Oh, God, I was such an idiot. I didn't tell anyone where I was.

But he kept his distance. "Everything you know," he began. "Every _belief _that you have is about to change." He looked at me intently and I swallowed again, a bad aftertaste in my mouth. "Are you ready for that?"

"What the _hell _are you, Stefan?" I pushed.

He took a while to answer, but he just opened his mouth for a while and let it hang there until he spoke his words.

"I'm a vampire."

But…hearing the words come out of his own mouth? No. I couldn't take it. This couldn't be real. It _had _to be fake. It _had _to be a joke or something.

I couldn't handle this. "I was wrong to come," I said after a while and began to turn away. Stefan reached out and I stumbled, being the clumsy person that I was when it came to every day things. When it came to cheerleading, I was perfectly fine. But when it came to being terrified and running for my life?

Not so much.

"Please," Stefan breathed out.

"No," I whispered under my breath, my heart racing. Was he going to kill me? "No!" I shouted and darted away from him. _Could _you run from a vampire?

The answer was evident when he appeared in front of me, his stance strong. I looked back at where he was before and then looked back at him, tears threatening. I was vampire bait. I was dead.

"Don't hurt me," I pleaded with small words. Stefan shook his head.

"Please don't be afraid of me."

I let out a bitter laugh. "When hell freezes over," I said, my voice a higher pitch. And then I realized that I was talking to a vampire. _Shit. He's going to kill me. _"_Please _let me go," I said through my teeth.

"Anastasia, there are things you have to know and understand," Stefan began, grasping my arms. Why did he feel so _cold _all of a sudden? No. No. No. I had to get out of here.

"Let me go!" I shouted and got out of his grasp to run to my car.

"Anastasia, _please_."

But I was already backing out of his driveway and squealing down the street. I had to get home, I-I had to get safe.

But how were you safe from a vampire? Holy water? Garlic? No, Stefan ate garlic. _Shit. Shit. Shit! _

When I got inside my house, I locked all of my doors, made sure the windows were locked, and called out to my mom while I rushed up the stairs, but she wasn't anywhere to be found. The _one _night I most likely needed her. Of course.

I found my way up to my bedroom to find it empty and cold. I clutched myself and shook for a moment before deciding to shower and clear my head. No. I couldn't deal with this.

I didn't want to die.

Was I safe in the shower? Probably not, but it was the only thing that would help me try and relax.

If that was even possible

I went into the bathroom and bent down in the tub to turn on the faucet to run and heat the water.

"Anastasia."

When I heard my name, I turned around sharply, my long hair blinding my vision for a second. I let out a shriek, but I knew that no one would hear me. I managed – somehow – to get away from him, dodging his hold and running into my bedroom. But as I tried to open the door to leave my bedroom, there was Stefan, his strong hand shutting my door closed. I let out terrified pants.

I didn't want to die.

For a moment, I was paralyzed, because I could feel his breath right behind me.

"Anastasia, trust me, I would _never _hurt you," he said slowly. "You're safe with me." I was sure that the only sound in the house beside his voice was my pants – I practically sucked all the oxygen out of the room. Did Stefan need oxygen?

I didn't move an inch. "Those animal attacks, those people who died," I began. "That was you, wasn't it?"

"No," he whispered to me, and I still couldn't find the strength to turn around. "Anastasia, that was _Damon." _

Slowly, I turned around and sucked in my cries. A vampire was so close to me. Why was a vampire so close to me?

"Damon?" I repeated.

"Yes." Stefan shook his head at me and I held in tears. "I don't drink human blood, that's not how I choose to survive, but Damon does." His voice was harsh. Why was his voice harsh? Oh, right, he was going to kill me. The tears tried to submerge, but I stopped them. "I'll explain _everything _to you, but I beg you, Anastasia, do _not _tell anybody."

I blinked at him. "How can you ask me that?" I asked, enraged, but still terrified of my own life.

I flinched as Stefan yelled at me. "Because you knowing this is _dangerous _for so many reasons!" I was shaking now. "You can hate me," he said, his voice softer. "But I need you to _trust _me."

"Trust you?" I whispered. Stefan nodded. I was momentarily paralyzed. "You…You need to leave," I said after a while. Stefan looked at me for a moment. "Just…please? Leave." He was still standing in front of me. "If you want me to trust you – to believe that you won't hurt me, you need to _go_."

I could no longer hold in the tears. One dropped on my face and I sucked in a breath. How could this happen? Today, my biggest worry was about what Caroline was going to make me do at the car wash, but…_now? _Now I was afraid for my life.

He was silent for the longest time. "I didn't want this for you," he whispered before he straightened, removing his hand from the door. I quivered once before turning around slowly, surprised I was even still standing. I opened the door to let him out, but when I turned back, he was gone.

With a shaking breath, I walked over to the window right next to my bed and slammed the frame, making it quiver as I did. I switched the lock so that it was truly bolted and turned around.

I was alone.

But was I safe?

The only sound that I could hear anymore was the sound of the water I had turned on, waiting for me to switch it to the shower mode so I could bury my fears in hot water.

But this time? This time one single shower would not rid me of this fear.

I would have to go to the source.

* * *

Don't get me wrong, I was still afraid. I was terrified. But I needed this.

"Last night," I began. "You said that you would explain everything?" Stefan nodded in front of me and I took in a deep breath. "Well, you better get to explaining."

"I can tell you whatever you want to know," he said surely.

I leaned forward, my heart racing. "You eat garlic," I noted.

"Yes."

"What about the sunlight?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "You obviously don't sparkle or burn so, why isn't it a problem for you?"

Before he could answer, a waitress at the Grill approached us with our drinks. "Hi," she said with a smile. "Here are your drinks."

"Thank you," I said under my breath as she handed Stefan and I our coffees from the opposite sides of the outside table. If I was going to do anything, I was going to do it in public. The last thing I wanted was to be vampire bait.

"We have rings that protect us," Stefan explained, holding up his hand.

I sighed. "What about crosses?"

"Decorative."

"Holy water?"

"Drinkable."

"Thresholds?"

He nodded and took in a deep breath. "We have to be invited in by the owner. If the owner dies, we get in. Without an invitation, we can't get inside."

I sighed at him. At least that was something. Why was this so frustrating? What was the better question to ask? What _can _hurt him? Instead, I continued. "Mirrors?"

"Myth."

I leaned back in my chair again and touched my forehead, under my breath, I continued. "You said you don't…_kill _to survive," I hissed under my breath. "What do you mean by that?"

"Animal blood keeps me alive, but not as strong as Damon. He can be very powerful."

I blinked at the vampire before me. God, I would never get used to thinking that. _Vampire. Vampire. Vampire. Vampire. _Maybe if I thought it enough, I would become more comfortable with it. "Powerful enough to make you sit by and watch as he _abused _Caroline?"

"Forcing Damon not to do something is much more dangerous, believe me," Stefan tried. I scoffed at him.

"You're kidding me!" I snapped. He just stared back. "He was hurting her, Stefan!"

"He was _feeding _from her."

"Is that supposed to make it _better_?"

"No, no," Stefan responded quickly. "I'm just saying that he was using a form of mind compulsion. She didn't know what was happening. If he wanted to kill her, he would've."

"So that's automatically supposed to make it okay?" I shot back.

"No!" Stefan exclaimed. "Anastasia, none of this is _okay_." He looked at me for a moment. "I know that."

Everything was quiet for another moment as we took a breather and I continued. "What about others? Who else is not who they claim to be in this town?" I murmured.

"There aren't any others. Not in Mystic Falls," Stefan replied. "Not anymore," he added.

I looked at him for a moment, catching on. "What do you mean 'not anymore'?"

Stefan chose his words carefully. "There was a time when this town was _very_ much aware of vampires. And it didn't end well for _anybody. _That's why it's important that you don't tell anyone."

I scoffed. "Like your girlfriend-slash-my best friend?" I proposed. He lowered his eyes. "Stefan, how am I supposed to keep this from her?"

"I know," Stefan said, a little rough at first. I flinched in the slightest and he brought his voice down. "Anastasia, trust me, I _know_." Stefan looked up to meet my gaze. "But it's much safer for her not to know. You have to believe me, I would never hurt Shelby. Ever."

I took out a deep breath. "The problem is, Stefan," I began. "I don't know how to keep it from her. I don't even know if I _want _to keep it from her, I…" I trailed off, searching for the right term. I looked up at Stefan. "I can't trust you right now. You have to understand that."

Stefan nodded once before looking out into the street and then back at me, leaning forward on the table. "Give me today," he proposed. I turned my head away for a moment as he continued. "I will answer _any _questions that you have. And when it's over, you an decide for yourself _what _you wanna do with what you know," he promised. "It'll be your choice."

I looked up at him again and thought about it.

But something inside of me was telling me that I could trust him – no matter what my mouth said or what my brain thought, somewhere deep inside I knew that he was trustworthy.

I just had no idea _why_.

A few minutes later, after Stefan practically drove me out straight into the boonies, he spoke and I slowed on the gas pedal. "Stop here." I pulled the car to a stop and Stefan got out immediately, and I soon followed, a little weary of our whereabouts.

"What are we doing here?" I asked slowly. Stefan turned to me.

"I want to show you something."

"In the middle of nowhere?" I narrowed my eyes. "This is normally how horror movies start _and _end."

Stefan sighed. "This didn't used to be nowhere," he began. I shifted as I gripped the car door that was protecting me. Stefan turned around and spoke aloud. "This used to be my home."

His…home? But I thought the boarding house was his home. Stefan walked forward and stopped to look at a chipped brick wall that held a statue, presumably for an entrance. I shut the car door and walked up to see him staring at it intently.

"Why is it so—?"

"Old?" Stefan filled in. "Guess." He nodded towards me.

"Are you saying…?" I trailed off, letting my heart beat faster. This was worse than I thought. "How long have you…uh…"

Stefan turned to me, cutting me off. "I've been seventeen years old," he started, "since eighteen sixty-four."

"E-eighteen sixty-four?" I repeated, confused.

Why was this happening to me? Did I do something wrong? Did I kill someone in a past life?

Stefan nodded. "You said you wanted to know," he pointed out. "I'm not going to hold anything back."

I thought about it for a split second. Maybe I could still walk away. Maybe I could just tell Shelby that he was no good for her and they needed to break up. Maybe I could tell Stefan to get lost. Maybe I could tell Sheriff Forbes.

But I realized – I needed to figure out for myself whether this was worth compromising my best friend's boyfriend for.

I needed to keep Shelby safe, myself safe, and this town safe. And once I learned the story, I could do that.

So, I nodded, and Stefan nodded back to me before continuing.

"Half-century before the boarding house was even built, this was my family's home. Damon and I, we were both born here." Stefan walked through the front bricks and I followed him as he spoke. "The Salvatore brothers; best friends. Only to be torn apart by the people they loved most."

I pulled us both to a stop. "You don't mean…?"

Stefan nodded slowly. "Katherine, Elizabeth, and Derek," he filled in. I felt a chill run through me. Everything had been altered to seem like it was only a couple years ago but it was really…more than a _hundred_? I let it sink in for a moment.

"Damon made it seem like—"

"Damon was trying to make you and Shelby think that I was still heartbroken over their losses." Stefan nodded at me. "He saw that I was happy with Shelby and was happy that I had you as a friend and…he wanted to ruin it." He paused. "Not to mention the fact that he's been trying to get closer to you ever since he got into town."

I frowned. "Well, that I could figure out on my own, thank you very much," I said with a little attitude. Stefan only smiled and looked down to the ground. "Is it really all because you loved the same woman a hundred and some odd years ago?" I asked, confused. Stefan nodded. "That seems harsh."

"Well, she wasn't just any girl," Stefan admitted. "Not to mention the fact that the Elizabeth problem was even more intense."

I looked at Stefan for a moment. "What do you mean?" I asked.

Stefan sighed and rubbed his palms on his jeans. "Derek?" he prompted. "Katherine? They were both vampires," Stefan told me. I stared at him for a moment. "They arrived together. He fell for Elizabeth, she fell for him. Katherine was seemingly okay with it, though I could tell that she was a little off about the situation. Damon was preoccupied with Katherine while Elizabeth and Derek got together…" Stefan sighed. "You know how that story goes. But as a vampire, you love more than you do as a regular human, so when Damon got involved, I could tell that Derek tried his hardest, but he was bothered by all of it. It wasn't pretty," he admitted. "He forced her to make a decision about who she was bringing to the Founder's Ball. She chose Damon, but he waited until Katherine chose me to accept her invite."

I turned around and faced him. "The first Founder's Party?" I asked, confused. Stefan nodded. "So you two _were _the ones who signed the registry?" Stefan nodded again. I sighed. "So you took Katherine and Damon took Elizabeth, but Damon wanted to take Katherine and Derek wanted to take Elizabeth?" I rubbed my head. "There were soap operas even in the eighteen hundreds, huh?" I sat down on an old marble bench and Stefan chuckled under his breath.

"In a way, yeah. I guess it kind of _was _a soap opera," he admitted. "But…none of it mattered to me. I didn't care that I had gotten something that my brother wanted, I didn't even care if it hurt him. I only knew that I wanted her."

"So, he was upset?" I questioned.

Stefan inhaled. "No, that's the thing about Damon." Stefan shook his head. "He doesn't get mad." I flickered my eyes up to him. How could a vampire not get mad? "He just gets even," Stefan finished.

I swallowed.

That made sense.

Stefan continued. "What Damon wants, Damon usually gets. Now, I didn't know it at the time, but it turns out that night, Katherine was with him, too."

"Did Elizabeth find out?"

Stefan nodded. "She found out." He shrugged at me. "Went running back to Derek, who didn't even ask a single question. Damon didn't realize the effect that night had on her until later on – she talked to me about it, once. She said that it was…mortifying, choosing someone who wasn't hers to choose. She and Damon had been friends since they could remember and everything was…changing," he admitted. "She was terrified that they would change too fast." Stefan sighed. "Once of the reasons that she didn't like Katherine. She admired Katherine, but she didn't like her. When it came down to the last straw, Elizabeth did some things that you would think she would be ashamed of but…" Stefan shrugged. "She wasn't."

I jerked my head back and knotted my eyebrows. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Derek told her about being a vampire," Stefan explained. "He didn't once use compulsion for that like Katherine did to me and Damon. She knew about the things that could hurt vampires and she tried them on Katherine once or twice. With Elizabeth, it was very straightforward. If you were respectful to her and didn't get under her skin, you would be safe." He paused. "But if you crossed her? Everything would change."

I blew out air through my mouth in a heavy sigh. "Well, she sounds like a charmer."

"She was."

I looked up at Stefan and tried not to smile. "Sounds like someone had a crush."

Stefan laughed and shook his head. "No, it was never like that with her. I meant that when I told you the story the other night," he responded. I nodded at him. "Katherine was who I wanted, but she…she didn't want just me."

"She wanted Damon, too," I filled in. Stefan nodded.

"She wanted us all to be together," Stefan replied, exhaling. "It didn't turn out that way, but"—he bent down and picked something up, and I raised my eyebrows at him as he got something from behind a log—"Damon and I; looks like we're stuck with each other." I watched as Stefan unraveled a cloth and pulled out a ring that was similar to his own. "Like it or not."

I stared at it for a moment before I realized. "Is that Damon's daylight ring?" I asked.

Stefan nodded and looked down at the ring. "I took it from him. I have to give it back."

I scoffed. "What the hell do you mean you have to give it back?" I walked over to him. "Damon ruined this whole town, you don't have to give _anything _back!" I demanded.

Stefan shook his head. "Anastasia, if I don't give it to him, he'll retaliate in the only way that he knows he can hurt me."

I frowned. "What can he threaten that can amount to him killing more and more people every day?" I challenged.

Stefan swallowed. "He can hurt you," Stefan admitted, looking down at the ring. I shifted, realizing. "Or Shelby. I might have a chance with him not hurting you but…Shelby? He'll go after her the first change he gets, I have no doubt about that."

I was quiet for a moment. "You would really give a serial killer the one thing that stops him from killing to save me and my best friend?" I asked, slowly, in disbelief of the vampire before me.

Stefan didn't hesitate. "Yes." I was quiet. "It's getting dark, Ana, we should head back to the car."

I took a moment, but I agreed, and we ended up right back where we started – in the modern day. Stefan opened my car door for me and I almost climbed into the car when another question popped into my mind.

"The mind control," I began. "That you said Damon used on Caroline?" I filled in. Stefan nodded. "Did you ever do that to me? Or Shelby?"

"No," Stefan said, his expression plain. He looked down at the ground and pointed at something. "You have the anklet on, right?" Stefan asked, looking up at me to get the answer.

"Uh…yeah," I said after a while. "Why?"

"It contains an herb called vervain," Stefan continued and looked back up at me. "It protects you from being compelled. When I gave Shelby the bracelet, I put vervain in that, too." I let my breath slip for a moment. What? "I wanted to protect you both from Damon's influence." He paused. "But I also wanted…to protect you both from me." He was silent for another moment. "No matter what happens after today and no matter how you feel about me, you'll know that you were free to make your own choice." Stefan took in a breath while looking at me and backing away slowly. "And, if I were you, I would never take those items off," he added before nodding and walking to the other side of the car so I could take us back to civilization.

But before I could put the car in reverse, my phone buzzed loudly, and I had no choice but to answer it. I saw from the caller ID that it was Elena.

"Elena?" I asked into the phone. How did I even get cell reception out here?

When it started to crack, I realized that I had jinxed it. _"Anastasia…please…come…quick…Vicki…I…now!" _

"What's wrong?" Stefan asked from beside me. I hung up the phone and put it in the cup holder.

"I don't know," I said. "But I think Elena's in trouble."

* * *

"Elena?" I banged on the door loudly, waiting for her to answer. After my third pounding, Elena finally opened the door, frantic. "Elena, what's wrong?" I asked.

"I-I don't know," Elena said, looking back at the kitchen of the Gilbert house. "She…her eyes…I have no idea what the hell is happening."

"Elena, please invite me in," Stefan asked politely as I stepped through the threshold. Elena raised her eyebrows for a minute before speaking.

"Sure, Stefan, come on in, what…" She turned to me. "What are you doing with Stefan?"

But Stefan wasted no time once he got in the door. He rushed to Vicki, and I followed him, knowing that something was wrong.

"Vicki, look at me," Stefan demanded, putting his hand on her face. "Focus," he instructed. Vicki calmed down instantly. Was he some kind of crack-whisperer, too? "You're going to be fine," he promised. She was silent. "Everything's gonna be fine."

He turned to Matt and Jeremy who were also in the room. "Guys, take her up to bed. Shut the blinds. She's gonna be okay. Come on."

"What the _hell _is happening?" Elena demanded, running her hands through her hair as Stefan lead Matt, Jeremy, and Vicki up the stairs.

"I-I don't know." I saw Stefan turn back and look at me, and I looked at him with confusion. "You know what's wrong with her?"

"Yeah," Stefan admitted.

"What is it?" Stefan pulled my arm and brought me more towards Elena's sink and we turned our back on her for a moment.

"She's transitioning," Stefan whispered.

"Transitioning to what?"

"A vampire," Stefan hissed under his breath.

I gulped. "What?"

"Damon must've gotten to her. She's new, she hasn't completed her transformation yet," Stefan explained.

"How does she even complete it?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

Stefan was quiet for the longest time. "She has to feed on human blood," he whispered.

I stared at him for a moment and turned to him, looking right into those sorrowful green eyes. "And what if she doesn't?"

Stefan took in a breath. "Then she'll die."

"Do you know what's happening to her or not?" Elena demanded from behind us, impatient. I turned around nodded to her.

"Yeah, Elena, um…" I sighed. "Can you just give me and Stefan a minute, please?" I asked. She eyed us once before finally nodding and going to meet Matt in her living room. I looked at Stefan.

"So what now?"

"She may only have a few hours," Stefan responded.

"So what do we do?"

"She doesn't know what's happening to her yet, there's nothing we can do right now."

"So when is she gonna know?"

Stefan exhaled. "Right now, she doesn't remember anything. A part of her is still human, but slowly, the deeper she gets into the transition the memories will start to come back. And then she'll know that she has to make the choice."

"This isn't really helping right now, Stefan!" I snapped. He nodded.

"I understand."

"No, actually, I don't think you do," I countered. "My best friend's sister is about to become an immortal _vampire _and I'm sitting down here listening to you talking about waiting for her to make the choice?" I stared at him, hard. "Who in their right _mind _wants to become a vampire, Stefan?"

As soon as the words rushed out of my mouth, I began to feel bad for saying them. Stefan stared at me for a moment, and I looked at him once before avoiding his gaze and turning away to go in the living room.

"Is she going to be okay?" Elena asked as soon as I joined her and Matt in the living room. I sighed.

"Soon," I lied. "But…right now, let's just give her some space." After all, what more could we do?

But a few minutes later, there were loud footsteps thumping down the stairs. Matt spotted her first.

"Vick?" he asked. I looked towards his direction to see her fly past him without a glance. "Vicki!" he screamed, following her out of the house. Elena and I soon followed after him, and were joined by Jeremy and Stefan. My eyes roamed around the block, but I saw no one.

"She was fine and then she just freaked out," Jeremy said, his voice wavering.

"I'm gonna go look for her," Matt shouted to us from down Elena's walkway. "Call me if you hear anything!" With nothing else, he left.

Stefan came up into my ear, making me jump slightly. "I can track her," he whispered. I nodded.

"Go," I told him, and he, too, was gone without a trace, leaving me to deal with Jeremy and Elena until he returned.

* * *

"Maybe we should check in with Matt," a worried Jeremy suggested as Elena and I cleaned up dinner.

"He'll call when he finds her, Jer," Elena assured him, handing his dishes.

Jeremy sighed. "Well, what are we supposed to do?" he proposed.

"We do the dishes and we wait," I offered, my voice wavering itself. I gave him an off smile. He looked at Elena and me.

"I…don't know what's wrong with her," he said slowly, trying to convey how we felt. Elena looked at me and I looked at her brother.

"Trust me, Jeremy, it'll be fine." I hated lying to him. I hated lying to everyone. "It'll all be fine, just…here, Elena can help you with the dishes, I'll pick out a movie or something."

"Good idea," Elena praised and shot me a limp smile, and I gave a half-smile back to her before walking to the living room. A minute into my movie pickings, the doorbell rang. "Anastasia!" Elena called out over the running water. "Can you get it?"

"Sure!" I called back, getting up from the floor in front of her television and walking to the front door. I opened it, but when I saw who was behind the door, I tried to close it. Instead, Damon's strong hand forced the door back, and I felt my heart give up. I looked back at the kitchen to see that Jeremy and Elena weren't coming to the door at the moment, and I realized – with relief – that Damon couldn't be in the house.

"What are you doing here?" I snarled at him, my eyes flaring red. Damon raised his eyebrows and smiled smugly.

"You're _afraid _of me," he noted. I felt chills run up and down my spine. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess – Stefan _finally _fessed up." He grinned. "It's about time."

I took in a sharp breath. "Stay away from me and my friends, Damon, I mean it," I snapped.

"Hey, hey, there's no need to be rude," he scolded. If I wasn't so damn afraid, I would roll my eyes. Damon shrugged. "I'm just looking for Stefan." I eyed him carefully. "Oh, relax,I'm not gonna kill you right now." He smiled at me while leaning against the threshold that he couldn't cross. "That wouldn't serve my greater agenda." He eyed me carefully. "Now step outside the house, Anastasia, before I leave and go a few houses down to rip Shelby's throat out."

I glared at him. "You wouldn't."

He tilted his head. "Try me," he suggested. I stared at him for a moment before realizing that he wasn't bluffing, and I looked back to see that Jeremy and Elena hadn't noticed anything unusual yet. With a sigh, I stepped outside the threshold and closed the door behind me. He couldn't mind control me. The vervain wouldn't let him.

"Of course you have an agenda, don't you Damon?" I proposed, trying to stall.

"Don't I always," he said with a big smirk on his face. "Now where's Stefan?" He dropped his smile and crossed his arms.

I squared my jaw at him. "He's out looking for Vicki," I spat.

Damon eyed me carefully. "Don't look at me with those _judge-y _little eyes," he snapped. "Girl's gonna thank me for what I did."

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at him – what he called _judge-y_. "I don't know, did you thank Katherine?" I demanded. I tilted my head at him. "Or how about Derek? Stefan didn't tell me which one turned you. I know Katherine turned him, but, let's see. I don't know, I think it'd make sense for Derek to turn you before he died. Get revenge on you for being such an ignorant _bastard_."

He glared at me and stepped forward, nearly pinning me against the door. "You know _nothing_," he snarled.

"I know enough," I shot. He was silent, and I saw his eye slip to survey me, and I willed myself not to shift under his gaze, though it was the most uncomfortable situation I had ever been in.

"Mm," Damon mumbled under his breath, backing away just a little. "I doubt that." He bit his lip and I raised my eyebrows.

"Care to elaborate?"

"Care to tell me where my brother is?"

"Screw you."

Damon smirked. "Sweetie, I know you want to, but I'm not here to discuss that." He licked his lips and shook his head. "Well, anyways, tell my brother I'm looking for him." He turned and walked down the steps of the Gilbert porch, but before he got all the way down, he turned back to me.

"Oh," he started again. "And, remember, there is _one _house I'm invited into," Damon eyed me slowly, as if letting me know what he would do. "And…a future tip? Be careful who you invite into _your_ house."

With nothing more, he was gone in a single blink of an eye, my heart pounding furiously in my chest – but not in the good way.

He was right about one thing. I was afraid of him.

And he was also right about something else; he _was _invited into my house; which means that I didn't have that protection like Elena did.

* * *

I waited for Stefan outside of Elena's house, seeing as it was getting dark and I needed to talk to him alone before I went back inside. I was spending the night at her house to help her with the whole situation, even though she didn't know half the things that I learned today. I waited until, finally, Stefan showed up at the doorstep, with no one else at his side.

I got up from my chair and looked at him, realizing that there was a dark red spot on his bright blue shirt. "Stefan, you're bleeding," I told him, rushing over to him to look at the wound – if there even was one.

"No, it's okay. I'm okay," he promised me, and I backed away instantly.

"Okay," I said, nodding. "Well, what happened?" I looked up at him hopefully.

"I…couldn't stop her," he said eventually with sorrow. I tried to realize what I was hearing. "I tried."

"Vicki's…" I trailed off. "Vicki's…like you now?" I asked, partially confused. I was so _tired. _How did _I – _of all people – get wrapped up in this? I was a terrible person who did terrible things and now all I wanted to do was make amends. I didn't want to get involved in a world surrounded by _vampires. _I didn't want to get hurt – I didn't want _other _people to get hurt.

Stefan nodded. "She…fed," he admitted. "And then I lost her." I swallowed. Realizing my dismay, he added, "I'll take care of it, Anastasia. I'll find her and I'll show her that she can live like I do – I'll make sure that she doesn't hurt anybody – I promise you."

"But what do I tell them, Stefan?" I hissed. "What do I tell Elena – what do I tell her brother? And…_Matt_? God, what do I tell Matt?" I wiped my hair out of my face, suddenly feeling hot in a sticky situation. Was this what it was like – realizing that you had other people to care about than yourself? Feeling like there's an emptiness whenever you lie? I had stopped lying for so long, I forgot how to make it feel like it was nothing.

"We'll come up with a story," he told me.

"You mean we'll come up with a lie to tell them all," I said after a while. "A _lie, _Stefan. Which will pile onto _more _lies and _more _lies and: _More. Lies," _I said, my voice like ice. I shook my head. "I don't want to lie anymore, Stefan. All I ever _did _was lie, and I'm trying to change that."

"I know," Stefan said slowly. "Anastasia…I'm _so _sorry."

I looked at him for a moment before turning away, rubbing my eyes. I covered my mouth with my hands and turned back to Stefan. "I gave you today just like you asked," I pointed out firmly. "And from what I've seen today, I realize that you would never hurt me, and if you won't hurt me, you won't hurt Shelby." I shook my head at him. "Stefan, I promise I will keep your secret but…_this?" _I gestured between us. "_Our _friendship, it ends here. It ends now." I ran a hand through my hair and shook my head. "And I have one more condition for you."

He was silent, and I thought about it long and hard. Did I want to do this? Did I want to rip away the one thing that helped bring Shelby to terms with accepting people into her life? Did I want to betray her trust and our friendship?

But it was all to protect her – and she could hate me all she wanted, but I needed to do it. With a sword above our heads waiting for Damon's command, I needed to sever all ties with Stefan in order for it to end.

I needed to protect us all. And, as terrible as it was, I realized that I was doing the right thing.

Or...was I?

"I need you to break up with Shelby," I said slowly. Stefan opened his mouth and I held up my hands. "Tell her…tell her it's because you think you can't handle a relationship or something. Let her down easy but _let her down,_" I ordered.

"Anastasia," Stefan began. I shook my head.

"Stefan, I don't want to," I promised him. "I don't want to rip the only happiness Shelby's had in a long time – believe me." I sighed. "And I _don't _think you'll hurt either one of us but…Damon will. And as long as Damon's around, we're collateral." He lowered his gaze. "So – please. For me and for Shelby's safety, I need you to break up with her."

He stared at me for the longest time, as if wondering if I was serious or not. But I was dead serious. I wasn't going to take myself fully out of this game, but I couldn't have Shelby be apart of it. I wouldn't have it. And I knew it was wrong, but it was better than saying "I wish I did" when she was dead.

"I-I'm sorry," I said after a while and left him quickly without another glance, feeling completely terrible. I walked inside of the house and shut the door firmly, leaning against it, catching my breath.

_I'm a terrible person. _

_I'm a terrible person. _

_I'm a terrible person. _

I spent the rest of the night in Elena's bedroom, while she slept soundly in her bed, I just stared out the window while resting on her window seat. I looked at my phone – at the thousands of text messages I'd received from Shelby that day alone, and I couldn't take it anymore. I put my head on my knees and just sighed, thinking about what I'd done.

* * *

**So, more on the whole Elizabeth plot line later on. If you haven't guessed who Elizabeth is yet, well...you'll find out soon enough! Along with Anastasia's plot line, she's going to be more than a little bitch of a human. No one stays human for too long. **

**That's why I've got a whole different arc for Elena. **

**Anyways, Anastasia's a terrible person, we knew that already. I'm trying to make her different from Elena, and I think I'm doing a good job at it without making her such a prissy little person (like Elena) who thinks she's so sweet and innocent and crap like that, but at the same time, I'm trying not to make you guys hate her. Let's just say she has a complex personality.**

**Continuing, thank you for reading and reviewing, as always! Make sure to leave a comment down below! And, if you can, vote on the poll! **

_**Love, **_

_**BellaSalvatore1918**_

_**X**_


	7. Haunted

**I loved this episode, though writing the episodes before 1x11 are really hard. I feel like everything just takes off after _Bloodlines _for some reason, I don't know, whatever. I guess it's the whole "doppelgänger" stuff and the tomb thing. What fun, right?**

**So, we all know Anastasia's a little bitchy, and that's her purpose. She's not going to be like Elena and just take whatever's handed to her. I have an intent for her to try and be nicer, but there's going to be those moments when she's just a plain bitch. I think that sometimes, the main characters need to be a bitch. Now, there are certain levels of bitchiness - Elena's is at that point where she's only a bitch because she's so annoying. Then there's Katherine, who's freaking **_**amazing **_**because she can be a bitch and get away with it. I want Anastasia to kind of have that vibe but at the same time, she only does it with a purpose. Katherine just doesn't care, you know? But that's what makes her Katherine.**

**Anyways, thank you for reading! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I hope you had a wonderful holiday yesterday.**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot**

* * *

**Haunted**

_"Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake _up_!" _I felt a pillow slam into my head, and I woke with a start, nearly falling off of the window seat that I apparently slept on. My body was cramped into the small space, and I was surprised that I didn't fall to the floor during the night.

"Gah," I said, blinded temporarily by the sun. I saw Elena standing up, fully dressed in front of me. I rubbed my eyes. "Oh. Elena."

"'_Oh. Elena._'" Elena rolled her eyes mockingly. "Don't 'oh, Elena' me! Get up! Stefan broke up with Shelby and we're needed A-S-A-P."

I felt a pit in my stomach. Oh. Right.

I grabbed my phone from underneath me and scrolled through the lock screen. A bunch of spam e-mails showed, a dozen text messages from Shelby repeated, and – to my surprise – Stefan had texted me.

_**Found Vicki.**_

I scrambled. "Uh, actually, I've got to get home and make sure my mom doesn't know I'm missing." I got out of the window seat and grabbed the spare clothes we all kept at each other's houses in case of an emergency and changed quickly. "The last time something bad happened to Vicki she freaked out on me and got all sentimental."

Elena frowned. "Since when did you care about your mom's opinions?" she asked.

It was true – I didn't before my dad died and I definitely don't now. But I wasn't going to see my mom. I had to check in with Stefan and make sure Vicki was okay. I laughed as I pulled on my jeans. "Uh…I don't. Of course not. But if I don't show up, I'm going to get grounded." I buttoned my jeans and bent down to slip on my shirt. "Tell Shelby I'll be there as soon as I can," I said apologetically as I grabbed my phone and the rest of my things and headed out. I could hear Elena call the first letter of my name, but I was out before she could get the rest of the sentence heard.

It wasn't long before I showed up at the boarding house, and the thought completely slipped my mind that Stefan wouldn't answer the door.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened.

I watched as Damon cheerfully opened the door, leaning against it with a smug smile on his face. He had a glass of alcohol in his hand and he looked as if he'd cleaned up since last night. I let in a deep breath and cleared my throat.

"Where's Stefan?" I asked.

Damon grinned. "Well, good morning to you, too, Little Miss Heartbreaker," Damon teased. I felt my heart drop. "I heard about the little request you've made of my brother."

I scoffed, trying to keep a brave face. "As if it's any of your business, Damon," I snapped. "I don't even _begin_ to comprehend how _you _can be so arrogant and shallow after _everything _that you've done. Everyone you've killed?"

He shrugged. "Just like I don't _comprehend _how you can be so brave and _stupid _to call a vampire arrogant and shallow."

"I'm just telling the truth," I admitted. "If you wanted me dead, I'd be dead by now, wouldn't I?"

"Yes," he said simply. "You would."

"But I'm not," I countered with a light smile. "So I guess you don't want me dead."

"Oh, honey, it's not me who wants you dead." Damon tilted his head. "Eh…_yet_."

I sighed and just crossed my arms. "All right, enough of this – where is Stefan?" I pushed.

"He's upstairs." I gave him a look and Damon smiled. "Singing 'The Rain in Spain'. Knock yourself out." He stepped out of the house and left the door open for me, sliding right beside my body as I faced him just a little. "By the way," Damon added. "I know you probably feel _terrible _for what you did," he began and lowered his voice. "Don't," he instructed while stepping out onto the front slab. "They're better off without each other."

I turned around to face him. "And how do you even begin to figure that?" I asked. I knew I shouldn't be talking to him, but he was getting on my nerves. "You have no idea what telling Stefan to break up with my best friend did to me," I snapped.

"Oh, believe me, sweetie, I do." Damon took a sip from his drink and turned around to face me. "And I'm sure you're avoiding your little friend to try not to lie to her, correct?"

"I—" Damon tilted his head at me, as if positioning a challenge. "You know what, whatever Damon," I scoffed.

"You and I are alike, Anastasia," he called out as I entered the boarding house. I stopped for a moment. "Willing to do anything, including lying, to everyone in order to get what we want." I could feel the smile dripping off of his words.

I didn't listen to him. Instead, I kept moving while I went upstairs to talk to Stefan. What did Damon know? He was just an arrogant bastard with an unhealthy obsession with ruining people's lives.

"Stefan?" I called up the stairs, and I looked behind me. "Stefan?" I asked again.

"Yes."

I turned around to see Stefan at the top of the sharp staircase, looking down at me. I sighed. "Where's Vicki?" I asked.

"She's upstairs," Stefan answered, gesturing up to the ceiling. I shrugged at him.

"What happens now? I'm pretty sure Elena's brother is searching for her with the rest of the town. Not to mention the fact that I've been avoiding Shelby and all of my other friends."

"I'm working with her," Stefan assured me. "But…it's going to take time. She has a very volatile and impulsive personality." He dropped his voice. "She's a drug user, and that's gonna play a part in how she responds to this." He paused. "As for Shelby I…I took your advice. I let her down easy. I didn't make her believe that any of it had anything to do with her. She'll be hurt for a while, I imagine, but she'll…get over it," he promised. "You should…be there for her, you know."

"And say what?" I challenged. "That I asked her boyfriend to break up with her because he's a vampire and I don't want her involved in it so no one else can get hurt?" I offered. He hung his head. "I just…" I put my face in my hands, but then dropped them and moved onto another topic. "How long is Vicki going to stay here? What do I tell everyone?"

"I'm gonna keep her here with me until I know that she's safe," Stefan responded. Before I got the chance to reply, someone interrupted us. Vicki.

"How long is that?' she demanded, shooting Stefan a glare as she hopped down a few stairs to join the conversation. Stefan sighed.

"We can talk about that later."

"Hey Vicki," I said, interrupting. "How are you holding up?" I asked.

She stared at me for a while before answering. "You're kidding, right?" she proposed.

I shrugged. "Could be worse," I admitted. "You could be dead."

Stefan sighed. "Come on," he suggested, gesturing towards a room. "Let's just sit down. I'll make some coffee."

A few minutes later, we were all sitting down at the dining table in the Salvatore mansion. Did vampires even eat?

"Coffee's our friend," Stefan explained to Vicki. "It's the caffeine – it circulates through our veins and it warms our bodies so we're not so cold to the touch."

"Well, what if I wanna drink human blood?" Vicki proposed.

"You will have to learn to live with that urge. And fight it on a daily basis, one day at a time."

Vicki scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, _God. _Don't start with that whole twelve-steps thing," she pleaded with a whine. "School counselor has been down that road. It doesn't work for me."

"It _can _work, it's _your _choice, Vicki," Stefan pushed. She glared at him intently with that infamous Vicki Donovan stare. Over normal circumstances, Vicki and I most likely would have never talked to each other in our lifetimes. But since Matt and I were friends, Vicki came with the package. I talked to her once and a while, though it didn't matter to me much before the accident. Afterwards? Everything mattered to me. Everything.

"So you've never tasted human blood?" she challenged, as if cornering Stefan into admitting he was a hypocrite. Curious myself, I waited for the answer.

"Not in a long time," Stefan said after a long hesitant pause.

"How long?"

Stefan sighed inwardly and shifted uncomfortably. Hesitant, he responded. "Years and years." It was like he was uncomfortably talking about it knowing that I was a bit afraid. "I'm not proud of my past behavior."

Vicki groaned. "Does this sketchy feeling ever go away? It's like I have this massive hangover," she whined, but then continued feverishly. "This daylight thing is a _bitch_. Ugh!" She stood up and snapped at Stefan. "I need more blood. Where's your bathroom?" This was giving me just the slightest bit of whiplash. "I have to pee. Why do I have to pee? I thought I was dead."

Stefan just jerked his thumb behind him and Vicki followed in that direction, stomping away. Stefan and I both sighed.

"I'm gonna, uh…" Stefan began. "I'm gonna get her some more." I just stared at him. "Right. I'll be quick." With a grunt, he left, and I waited. I looked around the inside of the mansion. It _was _a mansion. A full on Victorian-themed _mansion. _Probably as big as the Lockwood's mansion.

Suddenly, Vicki returned. I watched as she sat back down in the seat she was in, sighing heavily. "False alarm," she explained. "My body's feeling really _funky_. It's a good funk but, it's weird." She pulled a phone out of her pocket and began to dial a number. I raised my eyebrows.

"Uh…Vicki?" I started. "Who are you calling?"

"Jeremy," she stated simply. I shook my head.

"Vicki, maybe it's not the best idea," I suggested. She just glared at me. "I mean, at _least _not until you've gotten everything under control—"

"I would _never _hurt Jeremy!"

"I understand that but—" I screamed when Vicki rushed me somewhere, and – somehow – I ended up with my back pressed against the entrance of the dining room, her fingers around my throat.

"I _really _hate this new Anastasia," she growled under her breath. "You used to be so much more fun. Then again, you did have my brother wrapped around your little finger when you were a slut. I mean, you still do," she laughed.

"Vicki," I choked out. "Please. Stop it."

"Why?" she demanded. "So you can order me around some more? Because that's what you _do_. Or at least that's what you _did_."

"What are you—"

"Save it." She slammed her fingers against my throat more, letting the air completely cut off from my lungs. "I'm going to see whoever the hell I want _whenever _the hell I want. Right now, I want to see Jeremy, so I'm gonna see Jeremy." She pressed harder and I squirmed. "I've got some _fun _new toys to play with and I wouldn't think _twice _about ripping that _pretty _little head off."

With no more threats, she released me from the threshold and my knees buckled, forcing me to the floor where I coughed for air.

"What the hell happened?" Stefan said, coming into the room then and there, seeing me on the floor. He dropped the blood on the table and rushed towards me. "Anastasia, are you okay?" He looked back at Vicki and then at me. "Come on, let's go outside," he said, his voice a little lower. He helped me outside and I finally pushed him away when I was okay, grasping around my throat. It still hurt from Vicki's grasp.

"She threatened me," I answered him.

"She's on edge," Stefan answered. "Imagine every sense in your body operating at super-speed. I mean, she's uncomfortable in her own skin and then when you throw in her other issues—"

"How long before she's okay to go back into the real world, I mean…I highly doubt that she's going to like staying in this house forever," I cut him off. "Days? Months? Years?"

"There's no rulebook," Stefan said simply.

"Well what about you?" I asked, pacing slightly. "How long did it take you to control it?"

"A while," Stefan admitted. I closed my eyes and sighed. "But I didn't have anybody helping me. I had to do it on my own." He sighed. "The thing is, it's hard to resist certain people; especially when you're new. It's difficult to separate your feelings: love, lust, anger, desire. It can all blur into one urge; hunger."

"So what does that mean?"

"It means Jeremy can't see her. Not now. She might not be able to resist him. She could hurt him," Stefan explained.

"Or kill him," I added.

He shook his head at me and stared at me with hard eyes. "I am _not _gonna let anybody get hurt," he promised me.

"Thank you," I said after a while. "Uh…I need to go now." I turned away to leave, but he called me back.

"Anastasia—"

"No, Stefan," I held up my hand to stop him. "I…I have to go see Shelby now and...at least _attempt _to try and make things right again."

I walked away from him again and this time he didn't try and stop me.

* * *

I knocked on the door of the Matthews residence only to be greeted by Elena, who was holding a bowl of popcorn in her hands. When she opened the door and saw me, she dropped her mouth at me and pulled me inside, shutting the door.

"Anastasia, _where _have you been?" she demanded.

"I was…out," I lied, feeling my stomach twist. Elena glared at me and I sighed. "My mom had me doing errands, okay? But it doesn't matter, I'm here now." I sighed heavily once more. "Where is she?"

"Upstairs," Elena said quietly. "Bonnie and Caroline left an hour ago to get ready for the Halloween party at the school. I'm trying to convince Shelby to go. She's afraid she's going to see Stefan."

I scoffed. "Yeah, okay, well, let's just ease that worry up right now." I jolted up the stairs and Elena wasn't far behind me, and we both walked into Shelby's room. She was in her bed, watching a movie, her cheeks stained with dry tears. When she saw me, she straightened.

"Anastasia, where were you?" she asked me. I swallowed.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "My mom wouldn't let me get away, but I heard…" I walked over to her bed, feeling like the worst friend in the entire world. "How are you taking it?" I asked.

She tried to remain strong, but it was Shelby we were talking about. I was the one who pushed her to open up. She never lets people in, but she did this time, and it was all my fault. And I asked Stefan to break up with her, which was my fault too. It's not like I just liked putting blame on myself I just recognized that this _really _was all my fault.

"I'll be fine," she said after a while. "After I have a little date with Ben, Jerry, and Orville." She sighed and took the popcorn Elena extended to her.

I let a small smile on my face. "Well, you _know_, the school dance is in two hours," I began. I didn't want to go to it much, myself, but it was for Shelby's benefit – and the least I could do was help her move on from Stefan. I just kept telling myself that it was for the best.

She groaned. "Anastasia, _no. _Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie have all been down this road before."

"Come on!" I tried again. "Did they tell you how it would get your mind off Stefan?"

"Yes."

"How you would instantly feel better?"

"Yes."

"Good. Because it's crap," I said, giving her a light smile. She raised her eyebrows. "It might get your mind off of Stefan, but it might not make you feel better. What it _will _do," I began, and I saw Shelby start to realize, "is let you try and move on from him. You can't be the girl who sits in bed and cries for seven days over a broken heart. That's Taylor Swift's job," I pointed out. Shelby laughed lightly.

"I don't know…" she said after a while. "I mean, what if I run into him?"

"You won't," I assured her.

"How do you know?"

I shrugged. "Just don't think about it," I suggested. "If you don't think about it, then you can't let it bother you. Even if he is there, it'll just show him up."

I could see her waver for a moment before she sighed. "We have nothing to wear, though, remember? Bonne and Caroline got their costumes today and Elena was with me," she complained.

"Got that covered," Elena said with a smile. "Last year's costumes are all at my house. We can just stop by and change." I shot her an approving nod and looked back at Shelby.

"You have no more reasons to stay home," I determined, throwing the covers back. "Now come on," I said. Shelby smiled at me and took my hand, getting out of the bed with my help.

"What would I do without you, Ana?" she laughed lightly. I felt horribly sick for saying it. She would be happy. She would be with Stefan.

"Crash and burn," I said at last, swallowing hard. I let my eyes fall to a different place that wasn't in her line of sight, but then I saw something that I knew would happen. The bracelet that Stefan gave Shelby was sitting underneath a pile of papers on her desk, and I sighed heavily. How would I explain this one?

I walked over to the desk and grabbed the bracelet in my hand. Elena and Shelby were hunting through Shelby's closet for shoes that they knew would go with last year's outfits. When Elena went downstairs to grab her jacket and her keys and wait for Shelby to change into regular clothes, I gripped the bracelet tightly and walked up to her.

"Hey, Shelby, you...really shouldn't take this off," I said, giving her the bracelet back.

Shelby looked at it and, sadly, spoke. "Why? He broke up with me, remember?"

"I know, just..." How did I put this? "Listen, he gave you the bracelet, so you get to keep the bracelet, right?" I said, trying to put on a brave face.

"Well I was going to give it back to him..."

"Don't do that!" I exclaimed, trying for my best "You deserve it" move. "That bastard can burn, and this is a _really _expensive bracelet. You should keep it on." Oh, _God. _I felt terrible.

"Anastasia, I don't–" I shot her a glare, and Shelby shifted under it. With a groan, she took it out of my hand. "Okay, okay, I guess you're right."

I smiled weakly. "You know it."

* * *

The costume from last year's party was slightly tight on me, but tonight wasn't about me, it was about getting Shelby back out and running. It was the least I could do for being such a terrible friend and _overall _terrible person. Last year, I went as the Devil – dressed in a fire-red dress that stopped halfway down my thighs, a headband with horns on it, and a pitchfork – though I ditched the pitchfork this year. Elena went as a nurse in an altered, sexier version of a nurse costume. Shelby had gone as Marilyn Monroe – complete in her famous revealing white dress. She did her hair the same as last year's: tucked underneath to create the illusion that she had the short, bob-styled hair that Marilyn had, though her hair was a light auburn. We all walked into the school, where the first person we happened to see was Matt.

He walked up to us, smiling at Elena. He kissed her cheek and laughed. "You went with last year's costume, too?"

Elena laughed and nodded. "Well, until an hour ago, I wasn't sure if we were going to come," she admitted. Matt nodded with a smile.

"Me neither." He paused. "Did you see what Jeremy dressed up as?"

She raised her eyebrows. "He came?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah. He came as himself. Black clothing and everything." He laughed and looked at Shelby and me. "Ah-ha! The Devil and Marilyn Monroe – when did you three start re-using old clothes?" he shot. Shelby and I chuckled at him and, afterwards, Shelby jerked her head towards the punch bowl area.

"Who wants a drink?" she asked. Elena smiled and raised her hand, laughing in the slightest. "Come on, let's go get a drink. We'll be right back," she told Matt and me before leaving with Elena. Elena dropped Matt a smile before leaving.

"So," I began. "You and Elena, huh?" I proposed. "How long is this time going to last?" I inquired. Matt shrugged and smiled.

"I don't know," he admitted. "We'll see how it goes. We're both trying. You know everything sort of changed when her parents died in that crash." I nodded in response. "She told me how they fought a day before they went on that plane. That's why I'm trying not to get into it real big with Vick, especially tonight. She wanted some alone time while she's here I just…I'm worried."

I blinked at him. "Wait, Vicki's here?" I asked, confused. What about Stefan? Why wasn't he keeping her away?

"Yeah," Matt answered. "I mean, you can't miss her, she's a vampire." I let out an ironic laugh and looked around.

"W-Where did you happen to last see Jeremy?" I asked, realizing that tonight was definitely not going to be normal. Damn it, Stefan! I let out a long breath.

"Anastasia, what's the matter?"

I shook my head. "I-I have to find Jeremy." I took off without another word from him, not even mentioning it to Elena. Why would I? I was the only one who knew about vampires – and though it was wrong, I kept it a secret from everyone.

What did Matt say? Jeremy was dressed in all black? Yeah, that narrowed it down.

I searched the hallways – through the strobe lights that made my vision blurry. Why did the school have to be so proactive?

Suddenly, I spotted Vicki and Stefan in my vision and I let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God," I said with the relief in my voice.

"What's the matter?" Stefan asked.

"I was trying to find Jeremy, but I can't find him," I explained. "I was worried," I admitted.

"What's going on?" Matt asked, coming up behind me and facing Stefan, Vicki, and me.

"Oh, hey," Stefan said with a sigh. "Uh, everything's fine." Suddenly, Vicki shoved Stefan's arm.

"I told you to quit bothering me!"

"No," I whispered. "No, Vicki, don't—"

She cut me off. "Matt, he won't leave me alone," she lied. I blinked at her. Why was Vicki doing this – could the urge to see Elena's brother really be that strong? Matt turned to Stefan.

"You need to back off, man," he warned.

"No, Matt, this isn't what it looks like, it's okay—" I tried, but he cut me off.

"No, Ana, it's _not _okay." He turned to Stefan. "_What _is your problem?"

Suddenly, I looked behind Matt, and Vicki was no longer there. I looked a Stefan and breathed out his name before announcing, "She's gone."

I raced after her, but the strobe lights were making my vision all wacky. I tried to look for a guy in all black, but _everything _looked the same to me in here. Why was this happening? What did I do wrong? I tried tapping people's shoulders and asking Jeremy's name, but none of them turned out to be him. I had no hope when I realized that I had ended up at the back entrance of the school without finding Jeremy.

And that's when I heard the scream of his voice.

_"Noo! Vicki!"_

I looked around me and saw a wooden board, and I decided that it was the best shot that I had for protection. I raced to where I heard the screams, seeing Vicki attack Elena's brother by shoving him up against one of the buses.

"Vicki, stop!" I demanded. Why was she doing this? Was it _that _bad? Stefan made it seem like he was completely and utterly in control. Then again, he had been alive for a hundred years. Somehow, that always slipped my mind. I swallowed as Vicki threw Jeremy to the ground and stalked towards me, but I held the wooden board up to try and defend myself and hurt her in the process. But, instead, she broke the wooden board in my hand and threw me, and I was in the air for moments until I finally hit the ground with a large bang against other wooden boards. I could feel the blood pool in my stomach. Something impaled me.

I got up slowly, seeing as the wound wasn't fatal enough to slow me down immensely, and Vicki braced to attack me again. But Stefan stopped her, pushing her up against the front of the bus. "Vicki!" Jeremy called out, but his cries where merely drowned out in my ears. Vicki pushed Stefan off of her and fled, and she was nowhere else to be found.

Stefan looked at Jeremy and me.

"Go!" he ordered at us. "Get inside. Go!" I ran towards Jeremy with my hand on my stomach, though the blood only made my red dress darker. My hair fell out of place but, as of right now, I didn't give a damn. I grabbed Jeremy's hand and pulled him with me to go to the door, but just as I opened it, I lost his grip and was pulled back myself from halfway inside of the threshold to enter through the back of the school. With a cry that I let out, Vicki tore her teeth into my flesh, and I felt it pierce my skin. I let out another scream as the blood left my body and went into her mouth. She took a break while I kept screaming, and right when I thought that she would enter my bloodstream again, she stopped cold, and I could feel her strength on me grow weak. I was released, and she stepped back to reveal a big, wooden stake that impaled her heart. Soft sobs escaped her lips as she stood paralyzed, shaking. I watched as she fell to the ground, and Jeremy's sobs were evident. Stefan held Elena's brother back and I just stared at the dead Vicki Donovan – the sister of my _best _guy friend – dead in front of me.

It took me a second, but I realized that Jeremy had seen it all. Jeremy knew.

"Take him to my house," I told Stefan. He nodded. "I'll be there soon." With a nod, Stefan did as I told him to, pulling out his cell phone on the way into the school.

What was I going to do? Vicki was dead, Jeremy knew about vampires, and I was bitten.

When did life get so complicated?

What was I going to tell Matt?

How did I keep this from Elena?

How did I keep this from Shelby?

How did I even _begin _to explain this to Jeremy? Jeremy was nothing but a kid – he was a sophomore. He couldn't carry this burden, I wouldn't let him. If I wouldn't let my own friends carry this burden over there heads, why would I let _him_? I couldn't let this happen again – I couldn't let this happen to _anyone _else.

I expected myself to declare that it was all my fault, but I knew who the real culprit was. I knew who I really wanted to blame.

And then he showed up, which fueled my anger even more.

It wasn't my fault. It was Damon's.

"You should go," Damon said simply. "I got this." He said it so…_cheerfully. _Why would he be so cheerful about this? My best friend's sister was _dead. _Someone that I cared about was _dead._

And it was because of him.

"You did this," I hissed after a while. "This is _your _fault."

He raised his eyebrows in concern. "You confuse me with someone who has remorse," Damon replied.

I shook my head, squared my jaw, and prepared myself for the impact of my hand against his face, but it never made it there. Damon grasped my hand in his, twisting it to the point of pain. I stared at it while he stared at me.

"None of this matters to me, Anastasia," he snarled. "_None of it_," he repeated, whispering. Damon let go of my hand and I pulled it back instantly. He just glared and I shook my head.

"You said that we're alike – you said that we were the same but I would _never _do this," I growled. "I would _never _turn someone into what you are. I would _never _kill someone and not feel remorse about it, Damon. _You _turned her. Wherever you go, people _die. _And it doesn't matter to you?" I shouted. "How can you _stand here _and tell me that none of it matters?" I demanded. He just stared at me and dropped his eyes towards Vicki. "It matters and you damn well _know _it." I took the chance and did what I intended to do, slapping him once across the face – though it didn't seem to do much damage to him. I just stood my ground, my breath quivering.

But when he looked up at me, I saw something…different. Something…strange.

Hunger.

I knew it when I saw it on Vicki and I knew it when I saw it on him. He looked as if he was braced to kill – to kill _me._

But, then, he just hummed under his breath, but I could tell that he was angry. Beyond angry. _Good._

"You need to leave," he said after a while, holding his breath in. I just stared at him, trying not to move. "Your _wounds _are bleeding, and _you need to leave_," he warned, pausing in between his words. Damon looked at me in a way that was intensely serious. I gripped my shoulder where Vicki bit me and slowly turned away, giving into Damon's commands.

I didn't stop until I got to the parking lot. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it. Matt came outside, yelling my name. I turned around as he approached me.

"Hey, have you seen—Whoa, what happened?" he asked, looking at my wounds. I shrugged, but felt the sting in my shoulder.

"Some douchebag cornered me and sprayed me with some fake blood," I lied. I looked at Matt, trying not to break down. His sister was dead and he'd never know it. "I'm gonna go home and shower. Tell Elena and Shelby that I'm sorry for leaving." It was a good thing we came in separate cars. I had to get to the my house and see what damage I'd done with Jeremy. My mom wasn't going to be home until late tonight.

"I can't find Vicki," Matt blurted out before I could leave, and I felt my stomach twist. "She totally bailed on me."

_Matt…_I thought, but I knew I couldn't tell him. I felt my stomach toss and turn, deciding what to do.

"Uh…I'm sorry, Matt," I said at last. "I-I don't know where she went, I…I have to go—"

"Is this what I'm in for?" Matt said, interrupting me again. "A lifetime of worrying about her?" My heart dropped ten thousand feet.

"You're a good brother, Matt," I said at last. What else could I say? Shelby's ex-boyfriend killed your sister, I'm sorry? "You'll…get past this. It'll…It's going to be okay," I promised him – but the truth was, I didn't know if it would or wouldn't.

"Yeah," Matt said at last. "Uh…thanks. Maybe she went home."

I nodded. "Maybe," I agreed. He gave me a half smile before walking away, and I walked towards my car, where I just sat for a moment.

I was lying again. Why did I have to lie?

Why did it _always _come back to lying? I lied for a month about my whereabouts to Caroline, I lied to everyone about where I was and what I did...when was it ever going to change?

But, I realized something, though I was still upset. I lied before because I enjoyed it. Because it was fun. I'm lying now to protect everyone.

I thought it would make me feel better, but it didn't. So, I sucked it up, and I drove back to my house.

* * *

I pulled up at the my house with an intent to talk to Jeremy and discuss the options with Stefan. I didn't want Jeremy to be afraid of vampires for the rest of his life. It wouldn't happen on my watch. Jeremy was a good kid – he'd done nothing wrong. The only thing was that he got into trouble after his parents died, that's all. I wasn't going to let this ruin his life, too.

Stefan was on my small front porch, waiting for me. I looked at him, clutching my wounds, though most of the pain was gone. "Where is he?" I asked.

"Your living room," Stefan answered. I nodded and went inside, leaving Stefan out.

I saw Jeremy, on my couch, his head hung and his back hunched. I sighed heavily and walked into the living room, sitting down on the couch, too.

"Jeremy?" I asked. He lifted his head, and I saw dry tears on his face. I closed my eyes. "Do you understand what happened tonight?" I asked.

"No," he whimpered. "I don't understand. I mean, I know what I saw but…I don't understand."

"She was going to kill you," I said slowly. "And…and me, Jeremy. Vicki was going to kill both of us."

"Now she's dead," he said, crying. "Vicki's dead."

I didn't know what to say. How did I tell my best friend's brother that I let Stefan kill his girlfriend? How did I explain that there were things that went bump in the night that were _real_. Things that I couldn't even explain myself? "I…I'm _so _sorry, Jeremy, I didn't want you to find out about this. I didn't want _anyone _to find out about this."

"Just make it stop," he pleaded to me, his eyes glistening. I sucked in a breath. "It hurts."

"Jeremy…"

"Why does _everybody _have to die on me?" he asked, his voice quivering. I looked at him, trying not to burst into tears, myself. "First mom and dad in that crash…and now…Vicki?" He cried harder. "Anastasia, I don't know what to do…I don't know what to—"

"Shh," I ordered. He couldn't cry now – not when I couldn't take much more of it all. I couldn't. I just couldn't. It wasn't meant to happen like this. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. I tried to sooth Jeremy, but instead, he latched himself onto me, hugging me and crying on my shoulder. I wasn't surprised, but I knew that I wasn't supposed to be doing this. He wasn't supposed to see what happened tonight. I hugged him back, and he cried, and it continued until I finally suggested that he get some water while I talked with Stefan. I went outside on the porch and walked out to see Stefan, sitting on a chair that was by the edge of the porch.

"Are you okay?" I asked at last when he got up from his seat to face me.

He nodded and sighed, walking up to me. "I…uh…I wanted to help her," he admitted. "But, instead, uh…" Stefan shook his head, unable to continue. I nodded in understanding. "How's he doing."

"He's…" I trailed off. "Stefan, he's not good." I looked up at him. "How do I send him back to Elena's house…_okay_, I mean…I don't know how to do this anymore, Stefan." I shook my head and ran my tongue over my lips to keep from breaking down. "Stefan, I'm trying to keep this from everyone and…I failed."

"No, no," Stefan assured me. "Anastasia, you are…_fine, _okay? You're _fine. _He'll be fine," he promised me. I shook my head.

"Stefan, he lost his parents," I said slowly. "He lost his parents and now he lost Vicki and…" I trailed off, not knowing what else to say. "I don't want anyone to go through that – _no one _should have to go through that." I shook my head. "Stefan, what can we _do? _What can we do to make it better?"

"We can make him forget," someone else said from behind me, and I turned to see Damon sauntering towards me, though I _swear _I sensed remorse. He looked at me for a moment, his eyes serious. When he got closer to me, he just nodded. "The choice is up to you, Anastasia."

I wavered. "Taking away his memories?" I asked, looking at the brothers. "But…I mean…I don't want to make that decision, I…"

"There are two ways we can handle this," Damon said, his voice slightly cold. He stared at me over a tilted head. "We can make him forget or we can let the kid live the rest of his life knowing that his girlfriend tried to kill him and you, therefore, my brother killed her." He nodded at me. "And _I _know you don't want that."

My voice shook for a moment as I realized that Damon was right. I couldn't let that be the rest of Jeremy's life – knowing that his girlfriend was a bloodsucking vampire. I let my decision hang in the air for a moment before I made it final.

"O-Okay," I said, slightly stuttering. I nodded. "Do it." I looked at Stefan. "Please."

"I can't do it," Stefan told me, apologetic. "If I do it, there's no guarantee that it will work because of who I am and how I live I…I'm sorry," he admitted. I looked at Stefan for an extra moment before I turned to Damon, who nodded.

"If this is what you really want," he said at last. "I'll do it."

I paused for a moment. "Yes," I said, stumbling over the word as I looked at Stefan. "If…it's what has to be done." I looked back at Damon. "It's what I want."

He stepped closer to me. "What do you want him to know?" he questioned. I sucked in a deep breath.

"That…" I trailed off. "That Vicki left town," I began. "That she's…she's long gone and not coming back and…it's going to hurt for a while – _he _will hurt for a while." I shook my head. "But…But it's for the best." Damon nodded slowly. "He can't…look for her or worry about it, I just…I want him to move on."

Damon took a moment, but he nodded and went inside my house without an invite. Why was he helping me? Why did he offer to do it? Why did he give me the suggestion?

"You wish that you can forget, too," Stefan said slowly after Damon went in. I turned myself to look at Stefan, but I couldn't deny it. I nodded slowly.

"Y-Yes," I said, shaking. "I…I do, a little," I admitted. "I don't want to feel like I'm ruining everyone's life by making decisions for them because I know"—I took in a large, deep breath—"I _know _that if they find out that they're going to _hate _me for it."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Stefan asked, confused. "Everything you're doing, you're doing it for the right reasons."

I laughed and wiped a floating tear from my eye. "Stefan, Shelby is…_miserable_," I said with a bitter laugh. "And the worst part of it all is that I can't be there for her and I have to _lie _about it. I made you break up with her, Stefan, if it wasn't for me, she'd be happy."

Stefan shook his head. "Shelby and I would've never worked out anyway," he promised me. "You were right to do what you did, my secret was taking a toll on our relationship. It wouldn't have been much longer until she figured out what I am and – from _experience – _you know how it's dangerous." He paused for a moment. "Anastasia, if what you want is to forget…that's your choice to make."

I shook my head after a while. "No," I said at last. "I can't forget," I told him. "Because…at the end of the day?" I prompted. Stefan nodded lightly. "This is the only thing separating me from becoming who I was before." I paused. "Sure, I have to lie, but..." I looked at the door, envisioning Damon. How he told me not to feel bad about it. He was right. "It's what _has_ to be done. For me. For everyone."

Before we could continue the conversation, Damon walked out of the house to stand adjacent to Stefan, looking at me.

"It's done," he said. "Stefan, you should probably take him home. I compelled him to forget everything as soon as he hits Elena's doorstep. I'd act fast before Elena gets home," Damon suggested. Stefan nodded and headed inside of the house.

I nodded at him. "Thank you, Damon," I said at last. He nodded solemnly. Stefan soon came out of the house with Jeremy and turned to me.

"You'll be okay?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yes," I said. "Thank you."

"Goodnight, Anastasia," Jeremy said, slightly afraid. I swallowed and nodded at him. Stefan nodded towards me and soon disappeared down my porch steps, leaving Damon and me alone. I nodded to Damon once before turning to go inside of the house, but Damon grabbed my arm, making me gasp in the slightest.

"Anastasia," he said slowly. "I know you feel like a terrible person, but it was the right thing to do," Damon promised, repeating his words from earlier this morning. I turned to him.

"I thought none of this matters to you," I challenged, my voice soft. "If none of this matters to you, why'd you do it? Why'd you help him?"

"I didn't," he said slowly. "I…I helped you."

I let my breath catch for a moment, and I stared at him for a while. "Is that your way of making me feel bad for slapping you tonight?" I proposed.

He sighed heavily. "Why do I always have to have a secret agenda with you?"

"Because you've been trying to screw with me ever since you _got _here," I snapped. He waited for me to continue. "The graveyard, the Night of the Comet, the dream, trying to kiss me, trying to make me feel like there was something between us, that was all _you _screwing with me." My voice was harsher than I wanted it to sound, but it worked. "I am _not _Elizabeth, Damon. I don't know why you think you can play with me like this, but you can't."

Suddenly, I was trapped, Damon's hand on the side of the door, keeping me in between the side of the outside threshold and his body.

"Don't you dare act like you know _anything_," he snarled. I was afraid, but I stood my ground. Damon could no longer toy wit me. I wasn't going to let it happen.

"Then why don't you fill in the blanks?" I proposed to him, challenging him firmly.

"I don't think you can handle it," he admitted. I scoffed.

"I just think that you don't want to tell me."

He slammed his fingers behind me, creating a loud noise in my ear. I flinched. _"Damn _right I don't want to tell you, Anastasia," he snarled, and I let my breath hitch in fear. Damon relaxed when he realized that I was afraid. "You _can't_ know," he said at last.

"Damon—"

"Goodnight," he said at last, releasing me from his hold and walking away, down my porch and out into the night where I could no longer see him. I stood in my place for a moment, hitting my head against the outdoor threshold, until I finally went inside and decided to shower before my mother came home and realized all the blood on my body.

* * *

**So, these next episodes are going to be almost the same like the show...I just need you all to stick with me a little longer. I don't plan on making every single thing the same, but I do have to kind of stick with the cannon of it all. Don't worry, though, I'll add my own little twists here and there, like Derek, who will be a main character when he comes in. I might even bring Neal (the guy Caroline and Anastasia were both sleeping with) into it, you never know. Elena's not going to be the center of everyone's universe, and I'm going to try dividing up the attention that needs to be distributed to Elena, Shelby, and Anastasia. I'm not going to leave Elena out of it, but she's not the main character. Oh, and she's not going to be as whiny and demanding of people, but she's still going be wrapped up in the whole vampire thing. _  
_**

**Yeah, so just stick with me a little longer. I know you might think Anastasia's a doppelgänger but...well, I told you I would change it up, wouldn't I? **

**Anyways, enough of that! Leave a comment if you can! :)**

_**Love,**_

_**BellaSalvatore1918**_

_**X**_


	8. 162 Candles

**Sorry for the late-night update. I really wanted to get this chapter over with because...ugh. It's probably the shortest chapter ever, I know. And I'm sorry. **

**And, for everyone that reads _Shiver, _I'm going to update tomorrow. _Death and the Maiden _is kind of boring and I've been falling asleep while trying to write it. But I'm going to settle down with a bottle of coke tomorrow and get it done! It's halfway finished :) **

**Again, sorry for the late-night update. As always, please leave a comment at the end telling me what you thought of the chapter. They are appreciated much.  
**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot**

* * *

**162 Candles**

I exited the courthouse in the town square, relieved that all the questioning was over. I told most of the truth – nothing about the vampires, obviously, but mostly everything else. Matt, Elena, Jeremy, Stefan, and I were all questioned, considering we were all the ones who were tied to Vicki one way or another. When I exited the building with my mother by my side, I saw Stefan standing outside, presumably waiting for me. I looked at her.

"I'll meet you at the car."

"Anastasia—" she began, but I just walked away from her to meet Stefan. I saw my mom wait for a moment, but she eventually left like I suggested. I inhaled deeply as I made my way down to meet Stefan.

"You okay?" he asked me. I nodded.

"Yeah," I admitted. "I…I don't think the Sheriff suspected anything, so that's good." I paused. "Jeremy had _no _memory at all," I whispered. "All he knew was what I told Damon to make him know. That's all he kept repeating."

"That's how it works," Stefan told me slowly. "It's what you asked Damon to do…are you okay with it?" Stefan asked. I nodded after a while.

"I think it's good," I said slowly. "I mean, for now, at least. I don't know how much longer I can keep everything from anyone, I…" I admitted, trailing off. I paused for a moment before inhaling. "Stefan, I talked to Damon last night."

Stefan tensed and cleared his throat. "What did he say?"

"He keeps repeating that I don't know anything." I crossed my arms. "But…you _told me _everything, right?" I challenged.

He was hesitant. "Yeah, yeah, Anastasia, of course."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Here's the thing, Stefan, I'm really good at lying and I'm really good at knowing a lie when I see one so...what is it?" I challenged.

"Anastasia—"

"Tell me."

"You don't understand," Stefan said quickly, stepping closer so that we weren't heard. He looked around before dipping his head and whispering. "There are things that even I can't explain to you right now – for _your _own safety."

"What is with all the _secrets_?" I snapped at him. Stefan stared at me blankly. "You told me about what you are, I haven't told anyone else. Hell, I _protected _your secret by asking Damon to take Jeremy's memories away!" I stood my ground, staring at Stefan with hard eyes. "You better tell me what it is that you're hiding, Stefan."

"This isn't like everything else," he hissed. "I appreciate you keeping my secret, but what Damon is trying to suggest that I tell you is _highly _dangerous for you to know. And by 'highly dangerous' I mean that you could _die _over it."

I swallowed and looked at him, deciding whether or not he was serious. After a long pause, I cleared my throat and shook my head at him. "I can't do this anymore, Stefan," I said at last. He sighed. "Not if you're going to lie to me like this. I deserve to know."

With nothing else to say, I walked away, and he didn't follow me. But right when I was about to turn the corner and go meet my mom at the car, Damon appeared before me, holding a cardboard box in his hand. He smirked at me when he saw me.

"How'd the interrogation go?" he asked, raising an eyebrow smugly. I crossed my arms at him.

"_Not _in the mood for another _lying _Salvatore right now," I said with a sigh. Damon pouted.

"Aw, but I'm always in the mood for a very cranky Anastasia, don't you know?" He smiled. I stared at him, my eyes narrow.

"So, what?" I challenged, confused. "You act all weird and angry with me last night and now it's back to the Damon who just wants to make my life a living hell?"

He scoffed. "Oh, I don't want to do that," Damon retorted, smiling. "You know what I want."

I frowned at him. "I don't care if Caroline only liked you because you compelled her, _we _are never going to happen." I swallowed.

Damon grinned at me widely. "See, I _know _you don't believe that," he replied. I shifted under his gaze and cleared my throat, looking at the box.

"What's in the box?"

"Human head." Damon shrugged. I tilted my head and grimaced.

"Damon," I warned.

"Relax," he ordered me. I turned my head and rolled my eyes. "It's vervain. Something that can hurt vampires."

"I know what vervain is."

"Oh, good. At least Stefan told you _that_."

I ignored it. He was only trying to get a rise out of me. "Why are you carrying a box of the thing that is harmful to you?" I asked, confused.

Damon blew air through his teeth. "Too many secret agendas, too little time." He brushed past me and I turned around.

"Seriously, Damon?"

He put his lips to his hand and blew me a kiss. I frowned and scoffed at him. "See you later," he shot before turning around and disappearing from my sight. I sighed heavily and turned on my heel, setting towards the cars.

My mom was inside, on the phone, as usual. I let out a sigh and climbed inside, and she dropped me off at Shelby's house before she left to go to work.

Once inside, I said my greeting to Shelby's mother and then jogged up the stairs and into her bedroom to find my friend lying in her bed, wrapped up in her comforter, watching television. I smiled at her when I walked in and she just gave me a limp smile. I walked over to her bed and climbed on top of the covers. My eyes drifted to the television to see _Titanic _playing on the screen and I realized.

"You saw him last night at the party, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"Sorry."

Shelby let out a deep breath. "It's not your fault." I swallowed. Oh, but it was.

Instead of saying anything, I shut my mouth and watched the movie with her. It was an hour later, towards the end of the movie, when there was a knock on the door. When it opened, it revealed Elena and Bonnie walking inside with sad smiles on their faces.

"Are you going to stay in there forever?" Elena questioned with a sigh. Shelby nodded and sunk deeper into her bed.

"Yep."

"She's watching _Titanic_," I announced. Bonnie and Elena sucked air through their teeth in a knowing sound.

"Move over," Bonnie ordered. Shelby groaned once as Bonnie and Elena climbed onto the bed as well, and we all were sandwiched inside of it.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked slowly, looking at Shelby. "I mean, after what happened last night…"

"He basically just blew me off," Shelby said, playing with the material of her comforter. "It's like I didn't even exist."

"He's just missing out," I tried. "He's not worth it, Shelby."

"But he _is_," she countered. "I mean…it was all so out of the blue. One moment, we were just…having a great time, and then the next? He shows up at my house at ten o'clock at night and tells me that he can't do it anymore."

"Ana's right," Bonnie began. "He's not worth it. What a total asshole." Well, he wasn't the asshole. I was.

Shelby let out a long, heavy sigh. "Can we just…not talk about it?" she asked. There was a brief silence. "Just…get my mind off of it or something."

Bonnie looked at Shelby and then up at Elena and me. "Just remember, she asked for it," Bonnie pointed out before leaving the bed and closing the open window.

"Bonnie, what are you doing?" Elena laughed. She just smiled and continued what she was doing – which meant grabbing a nail file from beside Shelby's bed. Still holding the smile, she took one of the pillows from Shelby's bed as we all straightened to watch it all unfold. Bonnie ripped the pillowcase off of the pillow and dug the nail file in with a grunt. It ripped the pillow completely in half, causing feathers to fall out the split center.

"Hey, that's my pillow you just destroyed!" Shelby said angrily.

"Be patient," Bonnie demanded, but it was gentle with a smile on her face. Shelby crossed her arms and sighed as Bonnie continued her little experiment. She climbed onto the bed over the covers and spoke. "I need to swear you all to secrecy," she said, looking at us with seriousness in her eyes.

How ironic. "Not really the right time for secrets, thank you," I said with a sigh.

"No. Swear, because I'm not supposed to be showing you this," Bonnie pushed.

"I swear," Elena began.

"I swear," Shelby repeated. I frowned. I guess I had no choice or I wouldn't get to see whatever it was that she was doing.

I let out a sigh and gave in. "I swear."

"Okay," Bonnie said with a smile. "There's no windows open, right?"

"Right," Shelby agreed, looking around her room.

"There's no fan, no air conditioning…" Bonnie trailed off.

"None."

"What are you even doing?" Elena asked, confused.

Bonnie grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Grams just showed me this." She looked at all three of us. "You're gonna love it." She looked at Shelby. "You ready?"

Eager to get her mind off of the man who broke her heart, she nodded. Bonnie smiled once before continuing. I saw her hand flex out above the feathers, and she slowly moved it up. I didn't see what happened at first, but it was when she stretched her hand out further when I could see what was happening.

The feather in her hand floated in air with no attachments to any other force besides her hand. If I hadn't known about vampires, I would completely write this off as a magic trick – but, after all, Bonnie _had _been talking about witches for the past couple of weeks. So could it be true? After what I'd seen, it could definitely be possible – but true?

Shelby and Elena watched in sheer confusion. Elena raised her eyebrows. "Bonnie, what's going on?" she asked.

Bonnie said nothing in return. She just grinned once more and waved her hand over the pile of feathers, concentrating. Suddenly, instead of just one feather it was several. There was no way that this was a magic trick now. Elena could no longer deny Bonnie's accounts of being a witch. Shelby gasped out of surprise and looked up at Bonnie. I just stared. Vampires were real. Witches were real. What was next? The Loch Ness Monster?

But, suddenly, Bonnie drifted her eyes up, and along with it went multiple feathers floating in mid air with no explanation.

"What the hell is happening?" Shelby whispered while staring at the feathers that flew around in the air. She looked at Bonnie. "You're a…you're a…"

"Witch," Elena finished, gasping. "That's…That's impossible."

"It seems pretty possible to me," I countered under my breath, taken at the sight of the feathers around the room.

Bonnie nodded. "It's impossible," Bonnie agreed. "But it's true. Grams told me." She stopped for a moment. "I'm a witch."

"I can't believe this," Elena whispered, glancing around the room. "I mean…h-how?" she stuttered.

"Elena, the proof is right in front of you." Shelby smiled lightly, touching one of the feathers in the air. She looked down at Bonnie. "I told you it was possible."

Bonnie looked at me. Even though I was taken with the feathers, I still wasn't in the best of moods. I mean, sure, I was happy that everyone else was happy, but…me? Supernatural creatures surrounded me and I didn't even how close they were to me until now.

"Ana?" she asked me as Shelby and Elena spoke about the feathers over head, both of them up on their knees. "Are you okay?"

I looked back at her and smiled, nodding. "Yeah." I paused. "So…you're a witch."

Bonnie smirked. "I'm a witch," she agreed, and added more feathers to the combo, which only increased Elena and Shelby's fun.

While Elena and Shelby went to grab something to bring upstairs to eat, Bonnie and I sat on the bed, cleaning up the mess that we all made together with the feathers. Shelby was in a better mood than ever, and I was immensely happy about that. Maybe this break up would be a good thing for her. For all of us.

"It's weird, huh?" Bonnie said while they were downstairs. "After all this time joking about being psychic? I really am a witch."

I laughed. "Yeah, well, I guess Shelby was right about that one."

"You don't think I'm a freak now, do you?"

I frowned at her and tilted my head. "Yes, Bonnie, because being a witch makes you a freak." I punched her shoulder lightly. "No, it makes you the coolest person I know." I gave her a light smile, even though I was a little freaked out by it. Not in a bad way, I just…there was so many secrets in this town. I couldn't handle another. "Hey," I started. "If your Grams told you to keep all this a secret, why did you tell us?" I asked. Maybe I could hear from someone else about the secrets they had to keep under their hat.

Bonnie did a double take. "Are you serious?" I nodded. "Anastasia, we're best friends. How could I keep a secret from you guys?"

I immediately regretted asking the question – because it only made me feel terrible on the inside.

* * *

After Bonnie and Elena left after catching wind of Caroline's party that was being held tonight, Shelby decided that she was going to go on a little expedition to _Stefan's _house. I tried to talk her out of it, but, instead, she went without listening to my opinion, and I was left with no other choice but to just go home and wait for the information on what happened. Apparently, she'd had a little mini-resolution about her relationship with Stefan after Bonnie's feather showing. It seemed to inspire her to try and attempt at winning him back. But I knew that he wouldn't take her – and if he did, I would have to do something about it. It made me feel terrible inside, but I knew that I was only trying to protect her. I was only trying to keep her from Damon. Damon wouldn't hurt me – but he would definitely hurt her.

I got ready for the party, considering Caroline's threatening text. Apparently, if I didn't come, I would have to answer to her, and…answering to her was not a good thing to do when it came to Caroline Forbes. As I finished doing my hair, Shelby came back from Stefan's house.

"What happened?" I asked as she entered my room and I took the last curler out of my hair.

She threw her back on my bed and groaned. "He slept with someone else."

I nearly burnt myself taking the curler out, and it dropped on the counter of my bathroom. "Wait, _what_?" I asked her.

"Yeah! There was this blonde chick that was downstairs when I went in. She was in a towel and told me that Stefan was in the shower. She looked at me like she'd seen a ghost," Shelby explained. I frowned. That was _so _unlike Stefan. I mean, not that I really knew anything about that part of his life, but he didn't _seem _like the type of guy to just have sex on a whim. If anything, that was probably Damon's goal rather than his brother's.

"Are you sure it wasn't a misunderstanding?" I asked, stepping out of the bathroom and turning off the light. I pulled out the curls so that they would settle the way I wanted them.

Shelby pulled herself up on the bed and shot me a look through my dresser mirror that I was shaping my curls in.

"I'm sure." She collapsed back onto the bed and I just let out a long sigh.

After I finished changing and Shelby decided that she was going to just go home and not go to the party, she headed downstairs as I grabbed my phone off of its stand and slipped it into my bag. With an extra sigh, I headed downstairs, only to find Stefan in the living room, talking with Shelby intently. I waited for a moment, but then descended the stairs and realized that it was the time to break it up before Shelby melted under his gaze.

"Stefan," I said with a sigh, letting a tight smile on my face. "What a nice surprise." I flickered my gaze to Shelby, who straightened and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Anastasia," Stefan acknowledged. I looked at him for a moment. "Are you…going to the party as well?" he asked.

"Yep," I told him. I raised my eyebrows. "Wait, are _you _going to Caroline's party?" I asked.

"Lexi, my friend, is dragging me," Stefan explained. "And…it's my birthday," he said after a while.

I knotted my eyebrows. Are vampires allowed to have birthdays? "Happy…birthday," I said.

"Thank you." He looked back at Shelby and then back at me. "Well, I better get going then." Stefan paused. "Do you two need a ride to the Grill?" he asked.

"I—"

"We're fine," Shelby interrupted me, catching me off guard. "I've got to go get ready, anyway, so…I'd just be holding you up." She gave him a smile. "But I'll see you there?"

Stefan gave her a grin. "Yeah, sure."

She smiled back and gestured upstairs. "Yeah…so, I'm going to get ready." Without further notice, she went upstairs, and I realized – without a doubt – that she would be borrowing one of my dresses.

I walked up to where Stefan was standing. "So who was the girl in the towel?" I asked as I leaned against the railing of the staircase.

"My friend, Lexi," Stefan explained. I nodded. "She's not really a _girl, _she's…she's…a vampire," he said lowly.

"So there's another one in Mystic Falls now?" I asked through my teeth.

He shook his head. "She won't hurt anyone, okay? She's trained, she's stable, and she's well fed. She'll be fine," Stefan promised. "Are you okay, Anastasia?" he asked, concerned.

I nodded once. "Yep."

"You don't look okay."

"I'm not really in the mood right now, Stefan."

"Talk to me," he said softly. I slowly shook my head at him, shifting.

"I-I can't," I stuttered. "That's the problem here, okay? Stefan, I'm keeping secrets from everyone and the only person that I can talk to is _you _and I need to learn how to go back to my normal life and keep everyone _sane _in this town, okay?" I didn't mean it to sound snappish, but I realized that it came out exactly that way, though he didn't flinch. "I can't…I can't even tell my best friend, who probably deserves to know more than anyone."

He lowered his eyes for a moment. "She'll be okay," Stefan promised me, keeping his voice to a whisper. "After a while, at least. Everything will be okay."

I scoffed. "You keep saying that, but there's always a new problem that comes into play." I paused. "Like her trying to win you back."

"I won't let it happen." Stefan took in a deep breath. "And…you should know that, whatever does happen, I will always be here for you. You can come to me about anything, okay?"

I was about to answer to continue our conversation, but Shelby called out for me from upstairs. "Anastasia, I need your help!"

I sighed heavily and, still looking at Stefan, answered back. "Coming!" I let out another deep breath. "Thanks for stopping by, Stefan."

"I'll see you tonight," he agreed, walking to the door. I walked with him until he was out, and shut the door before going up to help her get ready.

* * *

"Gin and Tonic, please," I said as I went up to the bar and ordered the drink. The bartender, who basically didn't give a crap about the age limit in this town, just turned his back and began to make my drink for me. Shelby was off somewhere trying to win Stefan back. At this point in time? I wasn't sure of anything, so if she wanted to spend the rest of her high school career pining after Stefan, there was only little I could do to stop it.

"Aren't you a little underage to be drinking?" someone said cheerfully in my ear, and I recognized the voice by its smugness. Without looking, I sighed.

"Damon," I acknowledged, finally turning my head to see the vampire smirking at me as he sat down at the bar right next to me. "Aren't you a little too _overage _to be drinking?" I countered.

Damon shrugged. "Touché," he admitted. He looked at the bartender as he handed me my beverage. "Bourbon. Neat," he said simply. The bartender nodded and turned his heel to make the drink.

I turned around, trying to avoid all contact with Damon, and sipped my drink as my eyes glazed across the room. I caught Stefan, playing pool with Lexi, and I was amazed to just see Shelby on the sidelines, talking to Bonnie. Maybe she _wasn't _trying all that hard. Maybe she was trying to move on like I'd hoped.

"Stefan smiles," Damon began tauntingly, turning around as he received his drink. "Alert the media."

I scoffed. "Well, I sure doubt _you've _given him a reason to smile lately," I pointed out.

Damon sighed. "Oh, you're right. Poor Stefan. Persecuted throughout eternity by his depraved brother." Things were silent for the longest time as I refused to answer him and continue his mind games. "Does it get tiring?" he asked me. "Being so righteous?"

I laughed underneath my breath. "Not that you would ever know, Damon." I sipped my drink and shot him a look. "It takes patience and someone who's _not _a psychopathic serial killer to make the change from asshole to angel." I brought the glass to my lips again and drank.

He covered his heart and made an offended sound. "Well, consider this asshole's feelings hurt," Damon joked. I frowned at him. "Lighten up, Anastasia, it's a party."

"That I was forced to go to against my will," I mumbled under my breath. "I was apparently going to get the 'Caroline wrath' if I didn't go."

Damon smiled and drank his bourbon. "Well, I'm sure she had her reasons." He looked over at me, and I looked back at him, and then I knew.

"You," I whispered. "_You _told her to make sure that I came to the party."

Damon shrugged. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," he said non-committedly. "But it's a hell of a party, don't you think?" he challenged.

I scoffed. "You're unbelievable." I turned around and tried to down my drink. "_What _is your infatuation with me?"

Damon let out a small laugh. "In your dreams."

"Yes, Damon, the dreams that you give me," I mumbled under my breath. From the corner of my eye, I could see Damon smile and turn around.

"So, how's the attempt at keeping Shelby and Stefan apart?" he asked me. I raised my eyebrow and turned around with him, only to see Shelby walking up to Stefan and grabbing his pool cue. The two looked at each other with smiles on their faces and I just sighed.

"Not good, as you can see."

"You want my advice?"

"No," I said blatantly. Damon didn't pay attention to my comment.

"You should try and stay out of it."

I blinked at him. "Excuse me?"

Damon turned his head to look at me with those piercing blue eyes of his. "I _know _I said that they were doomed from the beginning, but she's so...persistent. If you ask me, I'd just let them get together and see what happens." Damon smiled smugly.

I snorted. "I didn't ask you. I also didn't know you were such an advocate for their relationship."

"I'm not," Damon said. He smiled. "Unless…you aren't for a particular reason," he indicated.

"Like…?" I prompted.

"Like being in love with my brother?"

I frowned. "Why are you so skeptical of your brother and his relationship with friends? You accused him of being in love with Elizabeth and you're accusing me of being in love with him." I crossed my arms over my chest. "I'm not in love with your brother and I'm _not _Elizabeth. Get it through that _thick _skull of yours."

Damon laughed. "Oh, the irony." He smiled at me. I just scoffed at him and got up from my seat, tired of the conversation. When I walked down from the bar area, I accidentally bumped into a blonde girl, who was turning away from Elena. When she saw me, though, she blinked more than a usual person should.

"Sorry," I mumbled under my breath.

"Uh…it's okay," the girl said, stuttering slightly. "I'm…I'm Lexi."

I raised my eyebrows. Stefan's Lexi? "I'm Anastasia."

"I know."

"You do?"

"Stefan told me," she explained. Stefan? Why the hell would he tell Lexi about _me_?

"Lexi," Damon said, coming up behind me and slinging an arm around my shoulder. I tried to shrug it off, but he kept it firm on my body. "What are you doing talking to her?"

"Just having conversation, Damon, is that a crime?"

"When it's with her, it is." He shot Lexi a smile and I nudged Damon in the stomach as hard as I could, but he didn't move a muscle.

"Get off of me, Damon," I hissed.

"I'm good," he said, as if I posed it as a question. I fought him on it and, with a sigh, Damon gave up and took his arm off of me. I sighed heavily and turned to Lexi.

"Excuse me," I said after a while and walked away. Why was he so _irritating_?

A couple minutes later, after I leisurely hung around the Grill avoiding Damon at every corner, I suddenly saw Sheriff Forbes walk in the door with a frightened girl. She pointed somewhere, and I looked over to where it was to see Damon and Lexi talking at the bar. What was she pointing at? Why?

It wasn't until Sheriff Forbes went up to the bar, did something to Lexi quickly and unnoticeably, and brought her away when I realized that something was _terribly _wrong.

Someone grabbed my arm lightly, and I turned to see Stefan was the one that touched it.

"What's going on?" I asked him, confused.

He just shook his head. "Come on," he urged, pulling me to the door.

"Can't go out this way," one of the deputies said as we tried to leave. Stefan let out a grunt before pulling me again and we walked outside of the Grill through the back door where we wouldn't be seen. While the cold air hit us, we walked faster, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. But when we finally could get a glimpse of what was happening – it was terrible. I saw Lexi being staked, right in the middle of the heart, by…_Damon._

I let out a gasp and Stefan grabbed me, covering my mouth with his hand to silence me. I saw Damon twist the stake further into Lexi, and I felt tears form. Not because of her – after all, I didn't know her – but because of what was happening. Why did Damon kill her? Why was he doing this?

Lexi dropped to the ground with no sign of undead life left within her. Damon turned to the Sheriff and, just like that, they were gone.

* * *

After everyone was cleared out from the bar, Stefan didn't waste any time at becoming angry at his brother. He began to talk of killing Damon, and I knew that Stefan would go through it. On one hand, I wanted to tell Stefan to go for it, but on the other...what would that do to _Stefan_? Killing his own brother?

So, I decided to get angry at Damon in my own way.

Damon was inside of the Grill, finishing up giving his statement to Sheriff Forbes. When I saw him, I set my mouth in a hard line and set after him. I saw it in his eyes when he saw me, and he carefully pulled me to the side to not attract attention.

"How could you _do _this, Damon, how _could _you?" I snapped at him angrily. As if Stefan hadn't been through enough.

"Anastasia, it was what needed to be done."

"Needed to be done?" I raved. "How can you _say _that, Damon? This was for your own personal benefit!"

"I got _rid _of the suspicion that vampires were roaming the town, Ana, _trust me _on this, I did the right thing," Damon said through his teeth.

I shook his head. "No, Damon, you did what you _thought _was right." I looked at him with hard eyes. "I get it, Damon, believe me. I get it. You are what you are, you can't change, you won't change, and, trust me, I've been down that road before." He stared right back at me, his expression unmoving. "But that doesn't change the fact that what you did tonight was just _wrong_."

Damon rolled his eyes. "You trying to _guilt _me, Anastasia?" he challenged. I sighed. "It's not going to work."

"You know what?" I said at last, fed up with this act of his. Without another single word, I left; brushing right past him without a second glance.

* * *

**Next episode is History Repeating, the one where Bonnie finds out about vampires. Who else will? **

**All I have to say is that someone's going to get bitch-slapped. Seriously. **

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a comment if you can. **

**_Love, _**

**_BellaSalvatore1918_**

**_X_ **


	9. History Repeating

**Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful New Years' Eve...the only thing I'm kissing at midnight is my cardboard cutout of Ian Somerhalder. **

**...You thought I was joking? Ha ha...no. **

**:) Enjoy the ****chapter! I know a lot of people don't read this story, but I'm appreciative to those who do. Keep it up! **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot**

* * *

**History Repeating**

"Have you even talked to Bonnie?" Elena asked as the four of us walked down the school's campus early in the morning for school. Oddly, school was the one place that was a normality in my life nowadays. I had come to school with Bonnie, who just picked me up that morning. Elena and Shelby had to drive their brothers to school and from as well.

"No," Caroline scoffed. "I'm mad at her. She needs to make the first move."

"Be the bigger person," Elena suggested helpfully. But, to Caroline, that advice wasn't so helpful.

"Impossible in her presence," Carole shot, mumbling. Oh, best friend conflicts. How..._normal_.

"Come on, Caroline, you can't fight forever," Shelby pointed out. Caroline shrugged.

"You're right, we can't fight forever," she agreed. "But that doesn't mean that I'm going to be the one to end the fighting."

I just shook my head. "Caroline, why are you so mad at her, anyway? It's just some stupid necklace!" I scoffed. "That _Damon _gave to you, anyway. Why do you even want it back?" I wasn't so fond of Damon, at the moment, considering the fact that he killed Stefan's best friend. I hadn't heard from either of them, so I hoped that they - one of them or both of them - weren't dead.

"Does it matter? She's a _thief_!" Caroline exclaimed. "I gave her the necklace, and she refuses to give it back. It's a matter of principle."

"All right." I held up my hands. "Well, I'm staying out of this one."

"Agreed," Elena tagged on.

"Let's move onto a different topic," Shelby suggested.

Caroline looked over at Shelby. "How you doing, Shelby?" she asked sympathetically. Shelby gave a light sigh.

"_So _not the topic I wanted to move onto." She groaned.

"It's a valid topic," I responded at her. "Have you talked to him?"

After the debacle last night at Caroline's failed attempt at throwing a risk-free party, I had come to terms with letting what was going to happen..._happen_. Obviously Shelby wouldn't give up, and - right now? I wasn't one get in the way of that. But if it went on too long – if she was in the risk of danger just once – I would intervene again. I had to. It was the only way to keep her safe. And I was trying to do it with all of my friends. Elena, Caroline, Bonnie...all of them were going to be safe as long as I was around to do so. It was as much for their benefit as it was for mine.

"No," Shelby admitted. "I think he's avoiding me after last night."

"What happened last night?" Caroline inquired.

"I asked him if he wanted to meet at the Grill later on this week, and then he disappeared," she responded. I let out a small sigh. "You know, I figured if we take it slow, it might work this time. Everything happened in a blur before, I…I think it was all just too fast." Shelby took a moment of hesitation. "It's just so complicated. And you know that girl, Lexi? She was acting all strange. And she kept saying something like 'When it's real, you can't walk away' or whatever. And then _she _disappeared." Shelby scoffed. I could sense there was more.

But before Shelby could finish the rest of the story, the bell chimed annoyingly in our ears, and Elena, Shelby, and I parted from Caroline to go to class. Apparently, we were supposed to get our new teacher today.

When the three of us walked inside of the classroom, we split up to go into our assigned seats, and I realized that Stefan's seat was cold and empty as the final bell rang, indicating that he wasn't coming. Just as the last harmony of the bell chimed, Bonnie walked into the classroom, her head ducked and moving fast. She quickly made her way into her seat.

"Good morning, everyone," someone said as he walked into the classroom, and I realized that it must've been the new teacher. He put his things down on the desk and turned around to the chalkboard. "Alrighty, let's see…" He began to write something down, and I turned to Bonnie, who just sat down at her desk without a work. She looked…overly tired.

_"You okay?" _I mouthed to her, concerned. Bonnie shrugged and I turned back around hesitantly, confused. But before I had time to dissect the situation, the teacher put the chalk that he was writing with down on the tray at the bottom of the board and turned back to the class.

"Alaric Saltzman," he said, pointing to the letters. "It's a mouthful, I know. It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Saltzman is of German origins. My family emigrated here in seventeen seventy-five to Texas. I, however, was born and raised in Boston." Why were we getting an entire life summary of this teacher's background? "Now, the name Alaric belongs to a very dead great-grandfather I will never be able to thank _enough_. You'll probably want to pronounce it 'Ala-ric', but it's 'A-lar-ic', okay?" Saltzman briefed us. "So, you, can call me Ric." He smiled. "I'm your new History teacher."

After class, Shelby, Bonnie, Elena, and I sat at an outside picnic table on campus. Bonnie was explaining her reoccurring dream that made her late and was also making her terrified. "And then I ended up at the remains of old Fell's Church before I woke up back in the woods."

"And you _always _see your ancestor, Emily?" Elena questioned. Bonnie nodded. "Huh."

Bonnie looked all around the table. "Do you believe in ghosts?" she asked them.

"Under different circumstances, I'd say no," I admitted. "But now—"

"I think I'm being haunted," Bonnie blurted out without waiting for my answer.

Shelby held up her hand and shook her head. "But, this doesn't even make sense. Why _Emily? _There are dozens of ancestors that could haunt you, why _her?" _

Bonnie shot her a look, but moved on. "Grams said she was a powerful witch back in the Civil War days and that the medallion was hers. A witch's talisman," Bonnie explained.

"And it all started when you got the necklace?" Elena filled in. The necklace that Bonnie got from Caroline, who got it from Damon. Of course. Everything came back to _Damon Salvatore. _

Bonnie nodded again. "I think she's using it to communicate with me."

"What does your Grams say about it?" I asked.

"I can't call her," Bonnie said immediately. "She's gonna tell me to _embrace _it. I don't want to embrace it. I want it to stop."

* * *

At the end of the day, I exited the building, ready to find Bonnie and finally go home. But, instead, I found Stefan, who seemed to be waiting for me at one of the picnic tables. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw him and walked over to him, where he got up to greet me.

"Hi," Stefan began.

"Hey," I responded. "Why weren't you in class?"

Stefan sighed. "I…I got your messages and, I'm sorry I didn't get back to you, but…what I wanna say shouldn't be said over the phone."

"I would've been fine with a simple 'I didn't kill Damon and I'm still alive' text," I told him, slightly laughing.

"I'm still alive and I didn't kill my brother," Stefan responded, but he wasn't all that into the joke that I made. "As much as he deserved it. He has you to thank for that."

I shrugged. "So was that it or was there something else that you wanted to tell me?" I asked him.

"I-I won't be coming to school anymore," Stefan said at last. I stared at him for a moment. Was he serious? "I'm gonna back off and keep my distance. From you, from Shelby. From everyone." He paused. "It's…the right thing to do."

I squared my jaw. "Are you planning on telling Shelby soon?"

"I was going to talk to her right after I spoke with you," Stefan admitted. I crossed my arms and sighed.

"What are you going to tell her?"

"That I'm moving."

"And if she sees you around town?"

"Damon and I are going to leave as soon as we can," Stefan promised. "As soon as we make sure that everything's safe enough here, we'll be gone. Shelby won't know I was here after I tell her that I'm leaving."

I wanted to argue with Stefan, but I realized that this was my solution – this was the ending. This was the final chapter in my vampire book. Stefan and Damon would leave, I would keep my friends and myself safe from vampires, and that was final. And who was I to give up a perfectly safe life?

Actually, I wasn't one to _have _a perfectly safe life. Though the life I had before my father died was definitely milder compared to the one that dealt with vampires and witches and ghosts, it was never _normal. _But what I really wanted to be assure of was that I didn't bounce back. Didn't turn into the person that I used to be. I didn't want to be a terrible person, I never wanted that. I also didn't want to change everything about me, I just...I needed a _distraction. _

But my distraction was leaving, so I guess I had no choice.

"Okay," I agreed at last. "So…I guess this is goodbye."

Stefan nodded briskly, but I decided to say nothing more. I nodded at him once before turning on my heel to let him talk to Shelby.

I went to the other side of the picnic table grounds and set my stuff down to wait for Bonnie to come and pick me up from the side of the school. As I waited, I pulled out my phone and checked my e-mail, but I saw something in my vision. I let my eyes wander up for a moment, and then back down, and then back up with a gasp as I saw a smiling Damon gleam down at me, and he twirled to sit down on the bench, and I just rolled my eyes. He draped his arm across the picnic table so that it was around me.

"What do you want?" I groaned at him.

"That's weird." Damon smiled. "Usually, you're _so_ happy to see me."

I looked over at him and glared. "You know, you're kind of giving me whiplash."

Damon shrugged. "What I do best," he tried. I just sighed. "So…I kind of need your help."

I shot my eyes towards him and glared once more. He was serious? "You're joking," I said, trying not to burst out in laughter. "Maybe in your dreams, Damon—"

"I thought we established that it was _your _dreams we talk about here."

"Get. Lost."

"Is this because I killed Stef's best friend last night?" Damon prompted. "Listen, it was all in the name of keeping our secret safe. No one got hurt."

"Actually, if I read the news report correctly, someone died."

Damon shrugged. "Collateral," he said simply.

I shot him a pointed look. "You disgust me," I whispered at him.

"Mm." Damon only smiled. How could one _dead _being be so _irritating_? "Anyways, about that favor—"

"Who said I was doing you a favor?" I shot him a glare and turned to Damon seriously. "I'm not doing you a favor," I told him seriously.

Damon stared at me for the longest moment. "I'll remember that," he said slowly. I smiled bitterly at him.

"You do that." Suddenly, there was a honk, and I turned my head to see Bonnie's car approaching with no one inside yet. I turned my head back to see Damon, but instead, he was gone. I let out a deep breath and got up from my seat at the table and got into the passenger seat of the car, and Bonnie drove forward to go home.

Once we were out on the open road, Bonnie told me the story of how Damon came up to her and practically threatened to kill her if she didn't give him the crystal soon. I wasn't even there, but the story scared _me._

"He's _bad _news, Anastasia," Bonnie said, looking at me from the side. "He _really _scared me."

"You need to stay away from Damon, Bonnie," I warned her. "You're right. Bad news. Whatever you do, just stay away."

"I'm trying!" Bonnie exclaimed. "He just keeps…showing up."

I paused. What if Damon hurt her like he threatened to hurt Shelby? I would definitely not put it beneath him. "Here's the deal," I began. Bonnie tilted her head, indicating for me to continue. "Stay at my house tonight. You shouldn't have to be alone. We'll invite everyone else and we'll make a night out of it, okay?"

Bonnie was silent for the longest time, and I looked over to see her playing with the crystal that hung from the chain on her neck. She tapped it once and I sighed, turning back to the open road. Suddenly, Bonnie swerved and pulled us off the road and stopped abruptly.

"Uh…Bonnie?" I asked as she got out of the car without any explanation. "Bonnie!" I shouted, but she just kept walking. I sighed. What the hell was she doing? I watched as she ripped the chain off of her neck and threw it into the field on the side of the road, so far that it would be impossible to retrieve. Bonnie angrily stormed back to the car and got into it again. I blinked at her. "Feel better?"

"Yeah," Bonnie admitted. "All my problems were because of that thing!" She smiled. "I can't believe I didn't do that sooner."

I smiled back at her. "What about Grams?" I asked. "Didn't she want you to…embrace it or something?"

"Grams isn't the one being haunted by a hundred and fifty-year-old ghost, is she?" Bonnie retorted.

"No," I agreed. "Okay, well now that that problem's over, let's just get on home. Do you still want to sleep over tonight?"

Bonnie shrugged. "Sure, why not?" She smiled at me and buckled her seatbelt before speeding back off into the road again.

* * *

Bonnie was upstairs when Stefan knocked on the door, per my request. I had asked him to come over so I could explain everything that had been happening with Damon. I knew that he wanted to stay away from me, but Damon didn't make that promise, and if he was harassing Bonnie and me, there was no telling what Damon would do next. I had Bonnie call Caroline, Elena, and Shelby and ask them to come over to keep her occupied while I talked to Stefan.

"Hey," I greeted when he showed up. Stefan nodded at me.

"Hey."

"Thanks for showing up. I'm sorry that I asked you to come," I said sincerely. "But…it's kind of important," I admitted. Stefan nodded in understanding and I stepped outside onto the front step to talk with him.

"What's wrong?" Stefan began.

"Damon," I told him, throwing my hands up in the air and pacing. "He threatened Bonnie and he tried to get me to do his dirty work for him."

Stefan raised his eyebrows in confusion. "What would _Damon _want with Bonnie?"

"She had this necklace," I explained, crossing my arms over my chest. "Caroline got it from Damon, she gave it to Bonnie, and now Damon wants it back _so _badly that he's willing to threaten her life to get it."

"Over a _necklace_," Stefan breathed out in disbelief.

"Well, it has to do with Bonnie's heritage," I explained to him, trying to help see if he knew why Damon would want this damn necklace so badly. "It belonged to her ancestor during the civil war era. Which is when you and Damon lived here, so…" I tried to let him fill in his own blanks.

Stefan sighed and nodded. "Her name was Emily," Stefan told me. "She was Katherine's handmaid. And a witch," Stefan added.

I blinked at him. "So you know?" I challenged. "About Bonnie," I clarified. Stefan nodded at me. "Well, I'm not going to lie, that's a surprise," I mumbled.

"The first night that you invited me over for dinner to help Bonnie get used to my relationship with Shelby, I made the connection," he responded.

I took in a deep breath. "So Damon knows Bonnie's a witch," I filled in. "But that _still_ doesn't explain why he wants the necklace."

Stefan inhaled. "What does it look like?" he asked quickly.

"It's an amulet," I told him. "Antique, obviously. Iron setting and an a—"

"Amber crystal," Stefan finished for me. I raised my eyebrows. "I know it. It belonged to Katherine. Emily gave it to her, which means that…" Stefan trailed off and I waited.

"Stefan?" I asked, trying to bring him back to whatever world he stopped into. "What does it mean?" Stefan looked up at me and shook his head.

"I-I don't know," he admitted. I stared at him. "But I'm gonna find out. Let me talk to Damon."

"How do you know that he's going to tell you?" I said, crossing my arms. "I mean, you guys obviously aren't on the best of terms right now…"

"I'll get it out of him," Stefan promised me immediately. I stared at him for a moment, debating my next comment, but I only nodded and let Stefan leave the house to go talk to Damon like he promised. I sighed heavily and walked inside of my house, only to meet Bonnie who bounced down the stairs just as I closed the door.

"Shelby and Elena are coming," she told me as she reached the bottom of the steps. I nodded at her and gave her a smile. Bonnie stuck the phone out at me. "Now _you're _the one who has to call Caroline."

A half an hour later, the five of us stood in my kitchen together. Caroline and Elena unpacked the food that Caroline brought and Shelby and I got plates and napkins for everyone. Bonnie entered the kitchen and everything was quiet, and Elena, Shelby, and I waited for either Caroline or Bonnie to say something. Elena gave Caroline a warning glance and made a subtle gesture at Bonnie for Caroline to receive. Caroline let out a frustrated sigh before she turned to Bonnie and spoke.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out. "There. I said it. If you want the ugly-ass necklace, keep it. It's yours." Not so much of an apology, but…I guess it would have to do; Caroline being Caroline and all that.

But, Bonnie, said something that she _probably _shouldn't have said. "Will you hate me if I tell you I threw it away?" she said hesitantly. I sighed. This wasn't going to be good.

"You…threw it _away_!" Caroline demanded.

"I know it sounds crazy," Bonnie pleaded. "But the necklace was giving me nightmares, I had to get rid of it."

"You could have just given it back to me," Caroline snapped.

I laughed. "Yeah, okay. She would give the necklace back to you and you would give it to Damon, where does anyone win in that?" I uncovered the plastic dome from one of the dishes and began to scrape it into a bowl.

Caroline was silent for the longest time before she scoffed. "Screw Damon," she said at last. I shook my head at her.

"Oh, no, no, no. _Not _the expression I would choose to use right now," I warned her. It gave me chills just thinking about it. Caroline rolled her eyes at me and Elena spoke.

"Okay, come on. Enough of this silly necklace business, who has their manicure kit?" she prompted.

"Mine's in my bag," Bonnie told her.

"I'll get it," Caroline volunteered, leaving the kitchen to go to the dining table where Bonnie's stuff was placed. "So, Shelby?"

"Hmm?"

"How long do you think it'll take you to get back together with Stefan? I mean…are you just friends, or…?" she finished. Shelby sighed.

"I don't know, Caroline," she responded, annoyed to the core. I restrained myself from laughing, as did Bonnie and Elena who caught the annoyance of Shelby's answer. Caroline stopped talking for a moment, and when she resumed, it wasn't good.

"Why are you _such _a little liar, Bonnie?" Caroline turned around.

"What?"

"Caroline!" Elena snapped. But when Bonnie and I realized what was in Caroline's hands, our expressions changed. Everyone's did, but Elena and Shelby didn't know what to expect. Caroline waited, expecting an answer.

"Seriously, Bonnie, why did you lie to me?" she demanded, going up to the middle of my kitchen and placing the amulet down angrily on my center isle.

"I'm not lying to you, Caroline," Bonnie returned. " I swear."

"It's true," I backed Bonnie up. "Seriously. I saw Bonnie throw it into a _field _when we drove home today." I blinked at the necklace. Was it seriously here? How?

"Well then explain it," Caroline suggested angrily. Bonnie looked around the kitchen to Shelby, Elena, and I.

"Emily!" she said angrily.

"Who's Emily?" Caroline asked.

"The ghost," Bonnie pushed, looking at me. I didn't know what to do.

"Oh, the ghost has a name now?" Caroline taunted. Elena sighed.

"Caroline, please," she said, holding up her hands. "So, if you guys threw the necklace away, why did it come back."

"You see, Elena!" Shelby said, pointing at her childishly. "I freaking _told _you that this stuff was real!" Elena frowned at Shelby.

"I wonder why she won't _leave me _alone," Bonnie said through her teeth to me.

"Okay, _what _is going on?" Caroline said, interrupting everyone. "Why am I not a part of this conversation?" We were all silent. "You guys do this to me _all _the time!"

"That's not true!" I tried, but Bonnie interrupted me.

"Yes it is," she countered. I looked over at her and, in response, Bonnie looked at Caroline. "I can't talk to you. You don't listen."

"That's not true!" Caroline repeated my words. Bonnie took in a large breath and calmed herself.

"I'm a witch."

"And don't we all know it."

"See!" Bonnie pointed out. "That's what I'm talking about! I'm trying to tell you something!" Bonnie shook her head at the blonde. "You don't even hear it," she said softly. Everyone was quiet and Bonnie left the room without a single word. Caroline turned back at the three of us.

"I listen!" Caroline shouted at us. "_When _do I not listen?"

I wish I could say that this was making me really annoyed, but this was the most normal fight that I'd had in _days_. Nevertheless, it shouldn't go on any longer. I sighed at Caroline. "Come on, Caroline, she tried to tell you something, okay?"

"What? That's she's a witch?" Caroline demanded and looked at me like I was crazy. "I'm sorry, but Halloween is _over_!"

"Caroline, it's true," Elena jumped in and looked at me and Shelby. "We saw it with our own eyes…Bonnie _is _a witch," she explained.

"You should apologize to her," Shelby suggested softly. Caroline let out a deep breath. "She's been going through a rough time. The necklace is weird, it's…haunting her, Caroline. You have to understand."

Caroline was silent for the longest time before she nodded, admitting defeat. "Okay, fine," she said before grabbing the amulet and turning on her heel to walk into my living room. When she was out of sight, Elena and Shelby began to walk towards the wall that separated the living room and the dining room, and I looked up at them with surprise as they tip-toed over to eavesdrop on the conversation. I gave a look of alarm, but Elena smiled at me and beckoned me forward. I hesitated for a slight moment before shrugging and going up to eavesdrop as well.

"_But if you do, then…okay. I'm in. That's all it takes for me to jump onboard, because…I consider you to be my best friend." _Ouch, that hurt. Well, I guess I didn't really earn any points after sleeping with her boyfriend, so it kind of made sense. _"And I'm saying this knowing that Shelby, Elena, and Ana are probably on the other side of that wall listening to my every word_." Lucky guess. There was a silent before Caroline continued. _"Look, I didn't know how real this was for you, but I'm listening now. Okay?" _

_"Okay." _I smiled. "_Guys! You can come in now! We're done!" _

When we heard the words, we all stumbled out, Elena actually tripping slightly. We laughed as we entered the room, and Caroline spoke.

"Okay," she began. "Enough drama for the night. What do you guys wanna do?" Elena shrugged.

"We could watch a movie," Shelby suggested.

"Ugh, I'm going to _fall asleep_ if we turn off the lights and watch a movie," I told her seriously.

Suddenly, Caroline gasped loudly. "I have an idea." She turned to Bonnie. "Why don't we have a séance?" She gave us a devilish grin while getting up from my couch.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Bonnie admitted while I groaned.

"Come on!" Caroline whined. "Let's summon some spirits," she said cheerfully. Caroline put her hands on her lips. "This Emily chick has some _serious _explaining to do."

"Ooh, a séance," Shelby said cheerfully. "Witchy voodoo, I like it!"

Elena snorted. "Yeah, and while we're at it, we'll summon the aliens, too."

Shelby's eyes widened. "You can _do _that?" Elena rolled her eyes and threw a pillow over at Shelby, who dodged it skillfully and made an offended sound. "Tough love, Elena!" Elena just rolled her eyes again and glanced over at me. In response, I looked over at Bonnie and shrugged.

"What could it hurt?" I tried. Bonnie looked at me once before sighing.

"Okay, fine. We'll do a séance."

"Yes!" Caroline smiled widely. "Okay, so what do we need for a séance? I did it once in, like, the second grade and I think we did it wrong. It didn't work."

Elena shrugged. "I don't know, look it up," she suggested.

A few minutes later, we acquired everything we needed for the séance in my bedroom, and the five of us sat in a circle together with candles burning in the center of our joined form. Each of us sat cross-legged with our hands clasped together with the people beside us.

Bonnie sighed. "What are we doing?"

"I don't know," Elena responded.

"Shh!" Caroline snapped. "Be quiet and concentrate." Caroline took in a deep breath, as did the rest of us. "Okay, close your eyes." We obliged reluctantly, but obliged nonetheless. "Okay, now take a _deep _breath." Okay, now I was just feeling stupid. "Bonnie, call to her." _Call _to her? What were we in, some kind of sci-fi movie, here? I shifted uncomfortably.

"Emily," Bonnie said, monotone. "You there?" All right, maybe Bonnie was a little bit too dubious.

"Really?" Caroline demanded. "'Emily, you there'? That's all you got?" she mocked. "Come on!"

"Fine!" Bonnie whined. "Jeez." Bonnie took in a deep breath. "Emily," she started, "I call on you. I know you have a message. I'm here to listen." It seriously took all the willpower in me not to laugh. I opened one eye to see what was happening, but no one moved a single muscle. I was about to close my eye when I saw the flames of the candles shoot straight up, and I gasped loudly, dropping my hands quickly like they were on fire.

"Did that just—" Elena began.

"Yeah, that just happened," Caroline answered quickly.

"This is too _creepy_," I said, shuddering. "Can we stop this? I was wrong, this _can_ hurt. What if something happens to us or…something…?" But before anyone could answer me, Caroline shivered, wrapping her arms around herself as if she were cold. I felt it, too, after a while, and Bonnie looked around with cautious eyes.

"It's just the air conditioning," she said quickly.

"Just the air conditioning," Shelby mumbled while scoffing. She looked at me. "Anastasia, do you _normally _keep your house negative twenty degrees!"

"The heat's on!" I protested. "I was feeling cold earlier, so I turned it on. There's no air condi—" Before I could finish my sentence, the flames in the middle of the circle flew up into the air again, making the five of us gasp in unison.

"Ask her to show you a sign," Caroline said after she caught her breath. Bonnie was silent. "Ask her!" Bonnie was still silent, so Caroline continued for the witch. "Emily, if you're among us, show us another sign."

And nothing happened. We were safe. We were safe.

"See?" Bonnie pointed out. "It's not working." And we were all quiet; but that's when the sign came. My window rose and crashed down with a loud noise, and each and every one of us gasped, afraid, crawling back. "No!" Bonnie screamed loudly, getting up from her position. "I can't. I'm done." She took the necklace off of her neck and threw it down by the candles, only to have the lights go out. "Get the light!" Bonnie screamed.

"For Heaven's sake, get the light!" Shelby shrieked, screaming. She was afraid. We all were. This was beyond creepy.

"Hold on!" I shouted. "I got it, I got it." I stumbled over to the door and turned on the main lights, and artificial fluorescents filled my bedroom. Elena looked down at the candles, tilting her head.

"You guys," she began. "The necklace, it's gone." I raised my eyebrows and walked over to the circle of candles, only to see that Elena was right – the necklace was gone. Bonnie looked up at me and I looked back up at her.

"Where the hell could it have gone?" Shelby asked, confused.

"I-I don't know," Bonnie stuttered and looked around. She moved over to my bed and checked under it, and I looked all around. Elena looked at Caroline.

"Okay, fun's over, Caroline," Elena snapped. "Give the necklace back."

"What?" Caroline asked in disbelief as she rose from the floor and crossed her arms. I looked over at her.

"Caroline, you made your point." I sighed. "Come on, give it back."

"I didn't take it!" she defended herself.

"Then who did?" Elena questioned, crossing her arms as well. "The necklace police? The scary ghost? Come on, Caroline. Necklace." Elena held out her hand and waited for Caroline to give it to her. I was about to say something when I saw a figure cross the threshold of my door. I did a double take, looking at it with confusion. What the hell? No one else was supposed to be in the house – my mother was still working. Caroline caught my suspicions.

"What?" she asked, turning around. "What happened?"

"I don't know." I swallowed. "Nothing." Maybe my mom _was _home. "Mom?" I shouted, going towards the door. "Mom? Are you home?" I peered out my threshold, but no one was there. I turned back into the room, only to see Bonnie moving towards something.

"Um…" she started. "Guys…?" I watched her slowly walk into my bathroom.

"Don't go in the bathroom," Shelby muttered, sighing. "Murders _always _start in the bathroom." But no one listened to her. We moved towards Bonnie as she walked into the bathroom, and I watched as Bonnie picked something up from my bathroom floor and hold it in her hand. Was it the necklace? Just as I was about to go inside, the door shut automatically, and Bonnie began to scream.

"Bonnie?" I yelled.

_"Ahh! Oh my God! You've gotta open the door!" _

Elena, Shelby, and Caroline all rushed forward with me and we began to bang on the door. Caroline tried the lock, but it wouldn't open.

"Bonnie!" Elena shouted. "What's going on?"

"Bonnie!" we all shouted in unison. Bonnie tried to turn the lock, but it was useless.

"Try the other door!" I screamed to her, referring to the one other door in my bathroom, which led to the hallway of our top floor. "I'll check the hallway," I told the rest of my friends as I ran outside in the hallway and tried the other door. Bonnie was screaming loudly, and I was afraid for my life. I tried to open the hallway door, but it was locked. "Bonnie!" I shouted. "Bonnie! Unlock the door! Unlock the door!" With screams filling our ears, it was hard to notice, but the lights flickered and a weird sound submerged. God, why was this happening to me? I'd had enough spook to last a freaking _lifetime. _I tried the door again, but it wouldn't open. I gave a frustrated sigh before running back into the room, where Caroline, Elena, and Shelby tried to open the door, too.

"Open the door!" Caroline shouted. "Open the—"

Suddenly, the lights stopped flickering, and Bonnie was silent. The lock on the door clicked, and the door opened to the bathroom, showing us Bonnie with her head in her hands. We all stared at her from afar.

"What happened?" Elena demanded. "Are you okay?"

Bonnie was silent, and we all just stared. She kept her face in her hands and said nothing. It was only when she removed her hands from her face that she stood straight and spoke, "I'm fine." What the hell?

Caroline scoffed. "Unbelievable," she said angrily. "You were _totally _faking it."

"Caroline," I said, warning her.

"No!" she shouted and turned to Bonnie. "You scared the _hell _out of me!" With crossed arms, Caroline brushed past us all and walked away. I stared at Bonnie, confused.

"What the hell happened, Bonnie?" I asked her, confused.

"I'm fine," she said simply, her voice monotone.

"Bonnie…?" Shelby trailed off. I knew that she could sense something was wrong, too.

"Everything's fine."

And Bonnie brushed past us without another word. Caroline scoffed to herself. "I _can't _believe I fell for it."

I rushed after Bonnie. "Bonnie, are you okay?" I asked her.

"I must go." And she set off for the stairs.

"She's leaving? I'm leaving," Caroline said abruptly.

"You guys can't leave!" Elena tried.

"Oh, I can!" Caroline retorted. "I've had enough freaky _fake_ witch stuff for one night!"

Bonnie turned to me. "Thank you for having me," she said, her voice in that weird monotone again. We all turned to her. "I'll take it from here."

"Where are you going?" Shelby asked, confused.

"Back to where it all began." What the hell was her problem? _Back to where it all began. __Back to where it all began. _

"Bonnie!" Elena started, but Bonnie began to walk down the stairs. I stared after her for a moment, knowing something was wrong. After my hesitation, I took after her down the stairs.

"Bonnie!" I shouted. "Bonnie!" I stopped and watched as Bonnie fled, and something clicked. "No," I whispered. "Emily!" I shouted.

Bonnie turned back to me, and I knew that I had said the right thing. "I won't let him have it," Bonnie said seriously, her eyes cold. "It must be destroyed." I took off after her, shouting Emily's name over again to try and stop her. But the possessed Bonnie took off first before I could get anywhere near the door.

"Wait!" I pleaded, going downstairs and rushing to the door. But when I reached it, it was locked, or…I couldn't open it, that is. I tried and tried, but it wouldn't open. I felt Caroline, Elena, and Shelby follow up after me, standing behind me as I tried to open the door.

"What's happening?" Caroline asked me, frantic.

I pulled at the door. "The…door!" I shouted. "It's not opening!" I tried at the door again, and Shelby and Elena helped me as well. But as we tried to pull open the door, it ended up slamming us right back in the face as my mother opened the door, staring at us all weirdly.

"Anastasia?" she asked me, confused. "Are you…okay?"

"I'm outta here," Caroline whimpered, leaving fast. My mother watched as Caroline fled the house without a single glance back.

"…What was that?"

I swallowed. "Bonnie and Caroline got into a fight," I lied. My mom nodded in understanding. "It's okay…um, I'll handle it."

She nodded. "Well, I've got to get up early tomorrow," my mom began. I nodded at her. Of course. As she went up the stairs, I bit my lip and looked around. What was I going to do? What _could _I do?

_Stefan,_ I breathed through a thought. I whipped out my phone and dialed his number, and the dial tone rang promptly. I could see Elena and Shelby look at me with curiosity.

"Who are you calling?" Elena asked me.

"Stefan," I said, breathless.

"Stefan?" Shelby blinked. "Why?"

I ignored her and stepped outside, needing the fresh air. Stefan answered after a few rings.

_"What's wrong?" _

"Bonnie," I gasped. "She's…gone crazy! It's Emily, I think it's Emily. The necklace went missing, there was some freaky lights stuff, and—"

_"Slow down, Ana. What exactly happened?" _

I took in a deep breath. "Emily is possessing Bonnie," I explained. "She said that she couldn't let him have it. That it must be destroyed. And she left."

_"Okay. Where do you think she went?" _

I let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through my hair. "She said something about going back to where it all began…do you know what that means?" Stefan was quiet for a moment and I gasped.

_"What? Anastasia, what is it?" _

"Fells Church," I said immediately. "That's where she took Bonnie in her dreams. Stefan, can you help us? Please?"

_"Yes. Yes. Just stay there, I'm going to go and find her." _

I was about to say something when he hung up on me. I tapped the phone against my hand and thought for a second.

"Anastasia!" someone snapped me out of my thinking, and I realized that it was Shelby, who was glaring at me with evil eyes. "What the _hell _were you doing talking to Stefan? Why can _he_ help us?"

I shook my head at her and swallowed. "Please, Shelby, I don't have time for this right now, I will explain _everything _later, we just have to go and help Stefan and Bonnie, please." I grabbed my jacket from the coat rack, along with my car keys, and I left the door open for Elena and Shelby to follow me.

* * *

"Bonnie!" I shouted as Elena, Shelby, and I stumbled through the forest that resided Fell's Church, a historical landmark in our town. There was fire surrounding her, and she was in the center of it. How could any of this have happened? What did Emily want? But as I stumbled forward, I was stopped by Stefan – who stopped all three of us from continuing. I watched as Bonnie threw something into the air, and Damon shouted.

_"No!" _

And as his scream lessened, there were fireworks that hung above, and I was clueless as to what was going on. Why was Damon so upset? What did he even want with the damn crystal?

That was all I could do. Wonder. Watch.

And I watched as Damon Salvatore lunged himself at one of my best friends, latching his fangs onto her neck. Elena, Shelby, and I all let out screams as Stefan flashed over to Damon, shoving him back. Bonnie dropped to the ground, and I rushed over to her. Shelby and Elena did the same thing, though I could tell that they were scared out of their minds. I knew I would be, too. I was, even though I knew about vampires.

Stefan bent down and checked Bonnie's heartbeat. God! Was she dead? _Please don't be dead. _Please. _Don't. Be. Dead. _

"She's alive," Stefan said, turning around to face me. "But barely. I can save her."

"Please," I snapped and turned to look at Damon, who just stood there. I stared at him for a moment before turning away, disgusted at him. How could he do this? How could he just sit there and look pretty while Bonnie was bleeding to death? After _he _drained her of her blood.

"Anastasia, what the _hell _is happening?" Elena demanded. I looked over at her and Shelby as they watched Stefan feed Bonnie his blood, and I could see the look of terror in their eyes.

"Her neck," Shelby whispered. "It's healing." She looked up at me. "Anastasia…" she trailed off. "What_ is _this?"

"Take them back to the car," Stefan instructed me, getting up from the spot that he was in to heal Bonnie. "Now." I looked back to see that Damon was gone, and when I turned back to see Stefan, he was gone as well. Bonnie sat up from her position on the forest floor, and I went over to help her get up.

"Please," I whispered to Shelby and Elena. "Help me. I'll explain everything when we get back to the car, just trust me on this," I begged them. With reluctance, they both came over, and we all stumbled back to the car together.

"I don't understand, Anastasia," Bonnie whispered. "What happened to me? He attacked me, and…" Bonnie trailed off, crying. I looked at her, helpless. What was I supposed to do now? "His face was like—"

"Shh," I hushed her, trying to calm her down. "The only thing matters is that you're okay. Are you okay?"

Bonnie nodded once. "I'm…_fine_. It's just…this blood. I don't…" she trailed off, looking in another direction, and I looked behind me to see Stefan. Everyone – excluding me – cringed at him.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," Stefan promised them all. I let out a deep breath.

"What's going on, Anastasia?" Shelby said through her teeth.

"Let's just get out of here," I suggested. "I'll explain _everything _as soon as I can. Just not here. Not now." Bonnie's eyes shifted to Stefan's, and Elena's eyes remained cold. "Please, guys? I promise you, you will not wake up tomorrow without knowing the truth, just let me tell it the right way." Shelby and Elena were hesitant, and I looked at Bonnie, who was shaking at Stefan's presence. "Bonnie, listen to me, Stefan will _not _hurt you. Trust me on that."

"Come on," Elena said, ushering Bonnie into the car. Shelby looked at me for a moment and then at Stefan.

"Are you two…like…_together _or something?" she said, her mouth set. Stefan shook his head and I sighed at her.

"No, Shelby, of course not," I told her. What I did was worse to her than stealing her boyfriend. "Just...get in the car. It'll make sense soon, I promise." She was the most hesitant of all, but she eventually got into the car. I turned to Stefan once they were all in and walked up to him, my arms crossed. "Is Bonnie gonna…?"

"No," Stefan answered immediately. "No, she has to die with my blood in her system." I inhaled. "So keep an eye on her tonight and make sure that nothing happens. And once it leaves her system, she'll be fine."

I nodded at him and looked back at all of my friends in the car. "I have to tell them, Stefan," I whispered to him. He nodded at me and hung his head. "I _tried_…_so _hard to keep this secret of yours. I did it for me, too, I didn't want them to get hurt, but…" I trailed off.

Stefan nodded. "I understand," he said thoughtfully. "Are you sure about it?"

"Yeah," I said, swallowing. "Though Shelby might hate me for what I did, of course."

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Anastasia, you tried to do the right thing," Stefan comforted me. I sighed.

"Thank you," I said after a while. "For…saving Bonnie's life." Stefan was silent for the longest time. I scoffed. "Stefan, I'm…_so _sorry. I thought that…that keeping this a secret – making Shelby stay away from you was the answer to my problem, but I don't think it was." I shook my head. "I think I just made everything worse." I took out a deep, deep breath. "So, if you want to get back with her after I tell her everything, I won't stand in the way anymore. You proved that you are _not _like your brother tonight, Stefan, and…I appreciate that. You don't have to stay away from her – from me. We can be friends again, if you want, of course," I added.

Stefan looked at me for a moment and gave me a sorrowful smile. "I wish I could," he admitted. "And, thank you, for the offer...for letting me have a chance with her again and be a better friend to you, but…I can't do this," he whispered. I stared at him, confused. "I have to leave, Anastasia. I meant what I said this morning. Too many people have died. Too much has happened. I'm only making things worse."

"But…why?" I asked him, my voice soft. "I'm fine with it, really, I just—"

"Coming home was a mistake, Anastasia," Stefan interrupted me. "I can't be a part of your life or Shelby's anymore."

"But this is _your_ home," I countered. "You don't have to leave."

"I do," Stefan said finally. "I…can't stay here. I'm sorry." He gripped my hand and gave me a light squeeze. "Be careful, Ana."

"Stefan—"

But by the time I was ready to say the second word that I needed to come out of my mouth, Stefan was gone, walking away from me. I wanted to call out to him, but it was clear.

Stefan had made his choice. And who was I to question it?

So, I turned back to the car and drove my friends home, where I was hit with an unlimited amount of questions. I told them everything – ranging from when I figured out that Stefan was a vampire to when Stefan told me that he needed to leave town. Elena was silent, Bonnie was in tears, and…Shelby? I had no idea what Shelby was thinking. I didn't want to know what Shelby was thinking.

"Shelby?" I whispered, trying. "Shelby, please—"

"You were the reason he broke up with me?" Shelby whispered, confused. "And Stefan's a…Stefan's a…._vampire? _How is that even possible?"

"Did he hurt you?" Elena asked, interrupting. I looked over at her and shook my head.

"No," I said. "Of course not. He wasn't going to hurt me. He wasn't going to hurt any of us. It was Damon that we needed to be worried about. Damon is the one responsible for a lot of the deaths in this town." I turned to Shelby. "That's why I asked Stefan to break up with you. I thought that…maybe, if you weren't tied to Stefan, you would have a better chance at surviving Damon's wrath. For a while, I was the only one in contact with Stefan. I tried to keep him and Damon away as far from all of you as I could."

"You should've told me," Shelby said quietly. "Anastasia, I could've—"

"You could've what?" I interrupted her and turned to Elena. "The night that Vicki went missing, Damon came to your house, Elena. He forced me to come outside by threatening you." I turned at Shelby and shook my head. "You were too close to everything. Stefan. Me. I tried to make you invaluable to Damon."

"That doesn't change the fact that it was _wrong_."

"I know that!" I told her, nodding. "Shelby, I _know _that. Trust me. The second I did it, I felt terrible. But then things started getting better and Damon began to back off a little bit, so I didn't care when you wanted to go to the Grill for Stefan's birthday. I told Stefan tonight that I wasn't going to stand in the way anymore. But he's leaving." I turned around and Bonnie and Elena, but still kept glancing at Shelby. "For _all _of us. To protect us."

"He's leaving with Damon?" Bonnie asked me. I nodded and things went silent.

Elena took a moment. "Vampires." She scoffed in disbelief. "I mean…I don't know what to believe anymore."

I nodded at her. "That's how it happens. I'm starting to think that aliens are real, too." I shot a glance at Shelby, and she rolled her eyes and smiled lightly through the tough exterior. I laughed with her, and Shelby turned back at me, shaking her head.

"You know I should probably bitch-slap you right now, right?"

I shrugged at her. "I'll give you a free pass," I promised. She raised her eyebrows at me.

"Really?"

"Yeah." I paused. "Just…try and make it gentle." I stuck my cheek out and braced myself for the impact.

Shelby sighed, and I felt her tap my cheek twice, lightly. I looked over at her, confused. "As much as you deserve it, Anastasia, I won't slap you," Shelby began.

"Really?"

"Nope." She reached out and slapped me right across the face, and the impact stung a little. I could also tell by the movements of her hand that it hurt her, too, and she laughed at the same time that she groaned at the pain and shook her hand. I rubbed my jaw, but I couldn't refrain from laughing. When I laughed, we all laughed, and then it turned silent.

"Vampires?" Elena repeated, slightly in disbelief.

"Vampires," I agreed.

"I think I'm going to stop making jokes about aliens," Shelby admitted sadly. We all looked over at her. "I've seen enough freaky crap to last me for the rest of my life," she admitted. We were all quiet and she looked back at me. "So Stefan's really going to leave?"

I nodded slowly. "Stefan's _really _going to leave," I answered. She was silent for the longest time before I saw her turn her cheek and a single tear shed from her eyes. I felt myself darken. I didn't mean to do it. I could've prevented this – the second heartbreak. There could've only been one, but I had to go there. I had to meddle.

But everything was different now; we were all different. Bonnie was a witch, Elena and Shelby knew about vampires, and I was changed. I could finally open up to somebody.

And I was only left to wonder what would happen next.

* * *

**So, Shelby, Bon-Bon, and Elena found out about vampires. Next up, _The Turning Point_. No, Ana's not going to sleep with Stefan. _Maybe _Shelby will :) **

**Please review if you can! I'll be back with a new chapter ASAP. **

**_Love, _  
**

**_BellaSalvatore1918_**

**_X_**


	10. The Turning Point

**This chapter is just a little bit short, but the next chapter is a longer one. I already have it ready for uploading, but I'm going to wait to do it for another couple days. I hope you all are enjoying 2014 so far! **

**So, this is the chapter that changes everything, and I'm just going to tell you now, Anastasia's _not _a doppelgänger, which will be evident during the next chapter when Stefan explains everything at the end, of course. There are a lot of rules and regulations that come with what she is, and there's no real _word _for it. But you'll just have to wait to see!**

**Please review if you can, it means the world to me. And, also, there's another poll on my profile, this time for a pairing video that I will try and make. There are two pairing options for this story (Damon/Anastasia and Derek/Anastasia). Obviously, you all haven't met Derek yet because he's trapped in the tomb since he went into that church, but he will eventually come out and stay for the rest of the story. I decided to do something completely different and not let TVD dictate who I'm allowed to make Anastasia have a love triangle with. If you didn't know, Chace Crawford plays Derek Anderson, who will come in four episodes from now. I won't be starting on the video for a while, so I have time to introduce his and Anastasia's relationship to everyone before you make a decision. **

**I just wanted to let you know because, if you read another story of mine, go ahead and vote! But, remember, you can only vote once, but this time you can vote for TWO pairings.**

**Enjoy the chapter! **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot**

* * *

**The Turning Point**

In the morning, Bonnie, Elena, Shelby, and I walked through the school hallways together. After the night before, things were a little strained, but I think that we would eventually get through it; somehow. After all, _I _got this far. Elena started talking about how Logan Fell showed up at her doorstep to try and win back her aunt, the other woman in the sick love triangle that went on between my mother, her aunt, and Logan. I scoffed.

"What a loser," I began. Elena nodded. "I mean, did you know that he was sleeping with my mom, too?"

"He was?" Elena asked, though I knew it didn't surprise her much. It didn't surprise me when I found out. "What a douche."

"Scumbag," I agreed. Elena chuckled.

"Jenna calls him Logan 'Scum' Fell."

"Appropriate," I praised. I turned my head for a moment and something caught my eye. It was Matt – walking and talking with Caroline. Wait, why was he talking with _Caroline_? "Did I miss something?"

Elena let out a sigh. "Matt and I broke up," she said to me. I wanted to say I was stunned, but it would be a lie. Matt and Elena broke up every single week. "I broke up with him a week ago."

"You didn't tell us!" Bonnie exclaimed. She shrugged.

"I didn't really think it was a big deal," Elena admitted. "I mean, I broke up with him, you know, there's just way too much going on in my life, even without this whole...situation we have going on." Elena sighed. "It was the right decision," she decided.

Shelby scoffed. "Even if Caroline takes him from right underneath your nose?" Elena frowned in response. "What? Don't you like him again?"

"Yes, I like him," Elena responded. "I love him, I just…you know, I just need a couple more months. But I don't get to control him, so…if he wants to hang out with Caroline, he can hang out with Caroline." But I could tell that she wasn't okay with it. No one was okay with someone stealing their boyfriend from right under their noses.

"Well, I think she needs a guy like him more than anyone else," Bonnie admitted. "You know, as opposed to a homicidal vampire like Damon."

"Yeah, how are you all doing with that?" I asked them, trying to be considerate. For once in my life, I thought of other people and it felt…good. Nice. I didn't know how long it would last, but I hoped that it would be permanent.

"I'm freaked out," Bonnie admitted. "Damon attacked me, I could be dead right now."

"I still don't believe it." Elena shrugged. "I mean…_vampires_? Really? Our life kind of sounds like we're living out of a fantasy novel or something."

"It's more like a murder mystery," I countered.

"What about Stefan?" Bonnie asked me. I turned to her. "I mean, since he saved my life last night…well, have you seen him?"

I shook my head. "Not since he told me he was leaving." I looked at Shelby. "You?"

She shook her head. "For all I know, he's already gone."

"He wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, would he?" Elena tried.

"Yes," I breathed. "He would. He thinks he's protecting us by staying away or something." I sighed. "I just think we have to carry on our lives without him, you know? Though it would be a hell of a lot easier if he would've just stayed and let Damon leave."

"I wish I could see him and ask him to stay," Shelby mumbled. "You know, he said his goodbyes to me the other day…I thought he was just moving somewhere else and we could talk over the phone or something. But, no, he's moving away because he's a moral vampire who thinks he's keeping us safe by staying away."

"Well, maybe it's for the best," Bonnie began.

"What?" Shelby asked, confused. "That doesn't make sense. Why?"

"Think about it, Shelby!" Bonnie exclaimed. "What kind of future could you have had with him? Even if he stayed?" Before Shelby could respond, a banner came down from the top of the hallway, and – ironically – it read, _The Promise of Our Future _with a graduation cap on the side.

"Did you just—"

"No, I swear."

Frustratedly, Shelby walked away, and, with a sigh, we all followed her.

* * *

When school was over, I walked outside alone to go and find Shelby, Bonnie, and Elena, but instead, I found Stefan, sitting on one of those picnic tables again. When I saw him, I sighed.

"I thought the point of staying away from me was to _actually _stay away?" I taunted him, walking forward.

"I tried," Stefan admitted. I let out a deep breath. "But…we need to talk." I crossed my arms and nodded.

"What's wrong?"

"There's another vampire in town," Stefan said, and launched into his explanation of how Sheriff Forbes came and talked to Damon about the animal attack. Of course, I asked if it was Damon who fed off of the person, but Stefan assured me that it wasn't Damon – and it wasn't him, obviously.

"So you have absolutely no idea who it could be?" I asked him as we sat down. Stefan shook his head and slipped his hands into his pockets.

"None. But it must be somebody new because…leaving a body like that? They're either sloppy or they're trying to send a message."

I frowned at him. "And you're absolutely _positive _it's not Damon? Kind of sounds like something he would do," I admitted.

"I'm never sure about Damon," Stefan responded. "But he's been trying to keep a low profile lately, so it just doesn't make any sense to me."

"So what do we do?"

"Damon's tracking them right now," he replied. With a sigh, he continued. "Look, I promised you the truth, so I wanted to tell you. I want you to be careful." I nodded up at him, and that's when we were interrupted.

By Shelby.

"Stefan," she said, taking out a deep breath. She looked at me and then looked back at Stefan, and I realized that I was not supposed to be here. They needed to talk things out. I looked at Stefan and spoke.

"Thanks for telling me," I said with a clear of my throat. "I'll…see you later." Stefan only nodded, and I walked away. I walked across the lot to my car, where I would wait until Shelby returned to me so that we could go home and come back later tonight for the Plan-Your-Future event at school. I put my stuff down in my car and got up, turning around to go to the other side of the car. Instead, I was blocked, and I soon realized that it was Damon. "Stop doing that!" I snapped at him, angry. Damon smiled.

"Nice to see you too, Ana."

"I have absolutely nothing to say to you." I tried to move past him, but Damon sidestepped and smirked down at me.

"I need your help," he admitted, looking down at me. I gave him a frustrated sigh.

"No."

"You still owe me that favor."

"No." I tried moving past him, but he, once again, sidestepped me. "Move," I snapped.

"If you don't do me this favor, I'll ask Caroline," he sung, smiling vindictively. "Besides, I think this is a good way to say goodbye to each other."

I gave him a sour smile. "Goodbye, Damon. Rot in hell. Don't write." I dropped my smile and he frowned at me. "I have nothing to say to you, Damon, and there's no way in hell that I'm helping you after what you did last night. Leave. And stay away from Caroline," I warned, crossing my arms and waiting for him to do what I asked. Damon let out a sigh.

"Look," he started. "I need help tracking the new vampire in town, okay?"

"Why can't you do it yourself?" I demanded. Damon sighed.

"I interfere with the signal," he explained. I blinked at him.

"What? Do you have some kind of vampire tracking device?" I challenged. Damon smiled. "Okay…so you do, then?"

"I do," Damon agreed and pulled out a pocket watch. He threw it over to me, and I caught it and examined the golden circular shape.

"A watch?"

"A vampire tracking watch," Damon returned. I opened it and examined the watch some more. "So?" he challenged. "You going to help me or not?"

"Anastasia!" someone shouted out, and Damon and I both turned to see Shelby rushing towards us. She looked at Damon. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Damon sighed. "Everyone's just so happy to see me today." He chuckled, but I could tell it was forced. "I love it." He turned back to me. "What do you say, Anastasia? Tick, tock."

I looked at him for a moment and debated my options. But, after the moment that I took to decide, I pulled out my car keys and tossed them to Shelby, who caught them hesitantly. "What are you doing?" she asked me.

"I'll try and be back as quick as I can," I apologized to her. "Take my car. When I'm finished, I'll text you and I'll come get it, okay?"

"Anastasia," she started, looking at Damon curiously.

I shook my head. "It's fine," I assured her. "Go. I'll see you later. My stuff's in the car, just take it with you," I requested. Shelby took a hesitation to debate whether or not leaving me was the right thing, and Damon and I watched as she eventually climbed into the car and accepted my request. He turned to me, smiling.

"Good choice."

"I'm not doing it for you," I told him firmly. "I'm doing it to help Stefan figure out who this vampire is."

"Sure you are." I scowled at him and Damon made a beckoning gesture. "Your phone," he instructed. I looked at him, confused. "I need to put my number in, Anastasia, so you can call me when you find the vampire."

With a large sigh, I pulled out my phone and handed it to him. Damon unlocked my phone and tapped the screen, and within seconds, he returned it to me. "So...I just call you when I find it?"

"Yep. I'll be far enough for the compass not to read me. Just follow the arrow," he instructed. I blinked at him.

"Are you kidding me?" I demanded. "I have to _walk_?" Damon nodded and shrugged, as if he didn't care. With a large groan, I opened the compass and looked up, but Damon was gone. It took me a while, but I finally reached the location that the compass was pointing me towards, and I pulled out my phone and called the number that Damon had inserted into my phone. "Found it," I said once he answered. "What do I do now?"

"Just wait," Damon instructed. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Well, I don't have all day—" Before I could finish my sentence, I turned around and saw Damon right in front of me, and I let out a gasp. "God! I thought I told you to stop doing that!"

"Sorry," he apologized, but it wasn't a real apology. Damon grabbed the watch back from my hands and did something. I sighed at him.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" I challenged, gesturing towards the warehouse. "Let's go inside."

"You're not going anywhere," Damon scoffed. I crossed my arms at him and blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"You could get hurt."

"You're the one who asked me to find this place!"

Damon rolled his eyes. "Yes, and finding this place could hurt you _so _much. God forbid you trip over a rock or something on the way over." I grimaced. "Oh, don't give me that look. Go home. I'll take it from here."

"No," I countered, shrugging. "I found this place, I'm going inside," I pushed stubbornly. Damon squared his jaw at me, and I held my ground.

"Fine!" he snapped. "Fine. You want to come in, go ahead. But if I don't get my answers and you die, it's on _you_."

"Fine with me."

"Fine." Damon turned around and began to walk towards the door to the warehouse. I quickly followed behind him and watched as he paused at the doorknob. Damon slipped the pocket watch into his pocket and twisted the doorknob handle so that it unlocked. He opened the door and stepped through it, and I stepped through it along with him. He held me back behind him, and I could tell that he wasn't happy about my tag along.

Too bad. Sucks for him. He was the one who asked me to help.

We walked inside of the warehouse, and Damon pushed me back. I squared my jaw at him as he walked forward some more, looking around, but suddenly, I heard a gunshot. Damon was shot down – no less than five times. Damon groaned and dropped to the floor, and I tried to remain hidden. But the vampire that shot Damon down walked over to me, and I widened my eyes.

"Logan?" I said, surprised. _Scumfell? __He _was the vampire? How?

"Anastasia," he greeted. "What a nice surprise. And a nice meal."

"Don't," Damon growled underneath his breath. I looked over at him and Logan sighed.

"All right, _fine. _I'll save her for last. Come on." Logan gripped me by the arm and pushed me down to the floor beside Damon. I landed with a grunt, and Logan waved the wooden bullet gun in his hand. "I have_ tons _of these wooden bullets so…nothing funky," he warned us. Damon writhed in pain.

"You don't want to do this, trust me," Damon groaned. Logan shot his gun again in Damon's shoulder, and I gasped at the noise and at Damon's scream. "Ow!" he shouted.

"That's what you get," Logan returned.

"For _what_?" Damon snarled.

"You made me like this," Logan said, bending down to our level.

"I killed you," Damon grasped, trying to get the wooden bullets out of his arms. "I didn't turn you."

"You killed him?" I asked, confused. Damon looked at me and nodded as he forced out the wooden bullet.

"Yes," Logan said. "He did." He turned back to Damon. "See, I know what you and your brother are. I've been watching the two of you. I knew you'd show up here." He looked at me. "Though you were a surprise," he admitted. "But, anyways," Logan turned back to Damon, "I'm glad you did. Because I have some questions."

"Me first," Damon said quickly. "Who turned you?"

"How should I know?" Logan shouted. "Last thing I remember is I'm about to stake your brother, and then you grabbed me. That's it." Damon threw a wooden bullet down on the floor angrily. "Until I wake up in the ground behind a used-car dealership on highway four!" Logan said through his teeth. I just watched as he explained. _"Somebody _buried me."

"It happens," Damon whispered. "Ow!" he shouted as he pulled out another wooden pullet.

"You bit me," Logan accused. Damon cursed under his breath. "It had to be you."

"You have to have vampire blood in your system when you die!" Damon shouted. "_I _didn't do that. Some other vampire found you, gave you their blood." Damon groaned and laid back down on the floor. I watched as Logan stared at Damon, angry.

"Who?"

"That's what I want to know."

"Dude, it's not like the welcome wagon was waiting with a bunt cake and a handbook!" Logan shouted. "It's been a learn-as-you-go process!" He chuckled sourly. "You know, one minute, I'm a small-town on-the-rise news guy, and the next thing I know, I can't get into my house because my foot won't go through the door!"

"That's because you have to be invited in," I explained to him. Logan looked at me.

"I know. I live alone."

Damon laughed. "That sucks," he admitted.

"So now," Logan continued, "I'm at the Ramada, watching pay-per-view all day, eating _everything _in sight. Including housekeeping.

"It could be worse," Damon tried.

"Well, all I can think about is blood and killing people. I can't stop killing people." Logan laughed. "I keep…_killing_. And I like it." He looked over at me. "_God, _I would love to eat you right now." I swallowed. This was disgusting. Damon eyed Logan carefully. "I'm conflicted," Logan admitted.

"Welcome to the club," Damon quipped. I shot him a warning glance and Logan got up, but Damon pulled the conversation back. "Wait a minute. The cops only found one body."

"I left one. I was tired!" Logan explained. "But I've been hiding the rest of the bodies." He gestured behind him. "They're right back there." I swallowed, feeling bile come up in my throat. "They're just piling up!" When he pointed to it, I seriously felt like I was going to throw up. "And you're going to be next," he warned me. Okay, I'll admit it. Damon was right. Fine. I gulped as Logan sat down and sighed heavily. "Why am I so overly emotional? All I can think about is my ex-girlfriend." He shot a look towards me. "No offense to your mom or anything, Anastasia, I did enjoy her, too…Just not as much as Jenna. I want to be with her…and bite her and stuff."

"Well, you probably love her," Damon said, his voice low. "Anything you felt before will be magnified now," he explained. "You're gonna have to learn how to control that."

"What about walking in the sun?" Logan said, directing the conversation his own way. "I'm a morning person. You can walk in the sun, which, by the way, is _pretty _cool." I looked over at Damon hesitantly, and from the corner of my eye, I could see him slide off his ring. "Council would never suspect you. That's not in the journals."

"The journals?" I repeated, confused.

"Yeah, the Founding Fathers, they…passed down journals to their kids."

"I didn't get a journal," I countered. "And my family's a founding family."

"Oh, they're somewhere," Logan returned. "You just haven't found them yet. That, or your mom has them. I was trying to see if I could get them from her, but I don't think she knows where they are. Your dad did a good job at hiding them." Logan focused his attention back at Damon. "Come on, man. You gotta tell me. How do you walk in the sun?"

"Who turned you?" Damon retorted.

"How do you walk in the sun?"

"Who turned you?"

Logan was now even more pissed off. "You know, I've been _really _nice so far. But I _will _kill you." Logan got up from his position and pointed the gun at Damon. But, then, Logan laughed as I swallowed. "No! You know what? Actually, I'll kill _her _and make _you _watch. And then I'll kill you. How does that sound?"

"Great." Damon shrugged. "Because then you'll never know." He got up from the floor, stumbling, and stuck his hand out; indicating for me to stay down. I did as told, deciding to listen to Damon – for once, at least. "You're not answering my question."

"You first!"

"Seems we're at a bit of an impasse, then, doesn't it?" Damon slurred.

"I have things to do," Logan began. "People to kill." He looked at me. "Guess I'll be needing a little head start." I looked around desperately, but what could I use to hurt him? Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a broom resting by a wooden crate. But how did you outrun a vampire?

I only heard sounds of gunshots, and that's when I took off after the broom. I surprisingly got my hands on it, but only a second before Logan Fell came up to me with his fangs barred. I tried not to be frightened, though the situation was the scariest I'd ever been in. I blindly stuck the broom forward, and it plunged into Logan's side. I cursed to myself. I didn't kill him.

And he took off without anything else, and I realized that it wasn't over.

But at least I wasn't dead.

* * *

I waited downstairs in the boarding house for Damon to change out of his bloody clothes and we could figure this whole thing out. Damon came down eventually, buttoning up his shirt. I stood from the couch and he just chuckled at me.

"I hate to say I told you so."

I sighed. "Yeah, you told me so. What do we do now?" I asked.

"I," Damon started, walking over to me as he buttoned one of the last buttons on his shirt, "am going to drop you off at school and you're going to pretend like everything's okay and you almost didn't get killed earlier while Stefan and I handle this problem."

"Damon," I countered.

"Anastasia," he returned, his voice cold. "I am _not _in a good mood, and you dying will not make anything better."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, okay, Damon. Because you care. Sure." I scoffed and brushed past him. "I'll _walk _home." I walked up to the door and out, grateful that Damon didn't stop me. But it was only a minute or two before someone shouting my name stopped me. I turned around and Damon was in front of me, making me gasp again in the slightest. This wasn't funny. "What _now_?" I snapped.

"Logan has Caroline."

We met up with Stefan a little later, and he looked at Damon and me like we were insane. "You _brought _her here?"

"Relax, Stef, we didn't really have time for a pit stop," Damon countered and turned to look at me. "Stay behind me, Anastasia. Got it?" I nodded at him, though I was a little irritated. He sighed and Stefan walked out first into the street, and Damon and I walked out next. Damon held a wooden gun in his hand – his payback for Logan's earlier torture. Damon raised the gun and pointed it and Logan, shooting him multiple times as Logan tried to rush over to us and fight. Logan blew back onto the paved road. "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?" Damon turned to Stefan. "Get her out of here," Damon said. For a moment, I thought he was referring to me, but I realized quickly that he was referring to Caroline. Stefan walked around the car to get Caroline from the front seat, and there was a voice.

"_Logan? What happened? Logan!" _

"Sheriff," Damon said as he jogged up to the car and grabbed the phone that Liz Forbes was speaking through. "H-Hey. It's Damon."

"_Where's Caroline?" _

"She's okay. I-I'm on Elm Street." With nothing more, Damon put the phone back into the car and turned over to Logan. I watched as Damon went around and pulled something out of the trunk. I realized quickly that it was a tire iron. "Gonna try this _one _more time," Damon sang. He gestured the bar like it was a golf club. "Who turned you?"

"I told you, I don't know."

"This tire iron could take your head clean off…" Damon threatened. "Is that your final answer?"

"How can you side with them?"

"I don't side with anyone. You pissed me off. I want you dead," Damon said simply. Logan said nothing in return. "Who turned you?"

"I don't know!"

"Oh, well. You're screwed." Damon drew back the tire iron and I waited for the impact by flinching slightly.

Instead, Logan spoke. "Wait! I do know!"

"You're lying."

"You think you're the only one that wants to get in that tomb underneath the old church?" There was a tomb underneath Fell's Church? I mean, I knew _something _strange was going on at the old ruins, but I didn't think that there was a..._tomb_. And why did Damon want to get inside?

"If you're lying to me, I will _end _you."

"I am not lying," Logan promised. "There's another way to break the spell, we can help you. Meet me at the old church."

"Damon!" I shouted. No. He had to kill Logan. If he didn't, this town would be in even more danger than it was with him, alone in it. Damon turned back at me, but sirens blared from down the street. It was Sheriff Forbes. I couldn't hear anything over the sirens, but all I saw was Logan shove Damon back into the car and Logan speed away.

"Where is she?" Sheriff Forbes demanded.

"She's okay," Damon gasped. "My brother's taken her home. I'm sorry, Sheriff. I just wasn't strong enough." Did I believe him? No. Not for a second. Liz gave a look of relief, but she looked over at me.

"Anastasia?" she asked me, confused. "What…What are you doing here?"

I swallowed. What would I tell her? "He took me," I responded. "With Caroline," I lied. "Stefan could only take one of us home, Damon offered to take me home." Why was I lying for him? I should've told her the truth – right then and there. But I needed to talk to Damon first.

"Okay," Sheriff Forbes said slowly. "Do you need a ride home, Anastasia?" I looked at Damon for a moment, but he wasn't looking at me. He didn't care. I knew that.

"Please," I agreed. She nodded and gestured to the car, and I nodded at her as well. Damon tried to walk past me, but I stopped him. "What the _hell _are you doing?"

"Going to meet Logan," he said simply. I sidestepped him as he did to me this morning.

"Why'd you do it?"

"He had answers to questions that I wanted answered." Damon shrugged. I shook my head at him.

"You just let a vampire on the loose, you know that, right?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "If he doesn't show up, we can track him down again, and this time, I'll kill him for real."

"What's under the church, Damon?"

"Nothing of your concern."

"Damon!" But he didn't listen to me. Instead, he walked around me, and I couldn't stop him this time. I watched as he disappeared into the night, and I sighed before walking over to Sheriff Forbes' car. Quickly, I texted Shelby, asking her where she was. She responded within a few seconds: _I'm driving Stefan home. _I answered, telling her that I would come and pick up my car, and she agreed. "Can you do me a favor?" I asked Sheriff Forbes.

"Yes?"

"Take me to the Salvatore boarding house," I told her. "I can pick up my car from there."

* * *

When I arrived at the Salvatore house, I told Sheriff Forbes that she could leave me, since my car was right in the driveway. After I thanked her for the ride, she left, and I walked up to the front door of the house. Damon wouldn't be home – that was good, at least. I knocked on the door to get my keys from Shelby before I was able to go home.

To my surprise, Shelby _and _Stefan answered the door…and Shelby was wearing Stefan's shirt. Their laughter that had been booming slowly ceased when they answered the door. "Anastasia," Shelby began.

"Hey," I started. She looked at me, confused. "My car keys?" I reminded her.

"Oh!" Shelby gasped. "Of course! Oops. Sorry, here, come in," she invited me, and I stepped into the room.

"They're in your jacket, right?" Stefan asked. Shelby nodded and Stefan turned to me. "Here, go on upstairs and get it yourself. It's in my room. Second door on the right. Shelby and I were just getting something to eat, do you want something before you go?"

I shrugged. "Sure," I said. "I'll be right back." I looked at them once before heading upstairs to go and get my car keys from Shelby's jacket. Well, it seemed like someone had an eventful night. But, I was happy for them. But did this mean that Stefan wasn't going to leave, then? I hoped not. I wanted Damon to leave, but Stefan was good. Stefan shouldn't have to.

When I walked upstairs, I quickly found Stefan's room, and it was…enormous. There were clothes strung everywhere, and…well; I didn't even want to know. I looked around curiously, and I finally found Shelby's jacket on a chair by Stefan's desk. With a sigh, I walked over to it and fished for my keys in the pockets.

And that's when something peculiar caught my eye.

It was on Stefan's desk – kind of hidden underneath some clutter. But it was there, and I didn't believe what I was seeing. Slowly, just as I fished my keys out of Shelby's jacket, I reached forward and grabbed the peculiar picture, and I suddenly felt my whole world fall apart.

It was a picture…_of me. _

Not…me, I guess. But…Elizabeth. Who looked exactly like me. It was a pencil drawing, but she looked exactly like I did; there was no doubt about it. It was clearly labeled – _Elizabeth, 1864__**. **_I looked at it with confusion. What the hell did this mean?

But I realized that it was not the only picture that I was holding. There were several – several pictures stuck together. I peeled them apart, only to find the same girl over and over again – me.

_Elizabeth Richardson, 1864_

_Veronica Welch, __1936_

_Amelia Fletcher, 1954_

_Wendy __Aaron, 1976_

What was this? Why were their pictures of me, over and over again, labeled with different names and taken with different effects? How was this possible? How was _I _Elizabeth? That didn't even make sense!

Was Stefan…was Stefan going to hurt me?

Well, I sure knew one thing for sure. He lied to me.

Was…_everything _a lie?

I frustratedly put the pictures down on the desk and thought for a second. I looked down at my anklet, the one that Stefan gave me.

He was a liar. What else did he lie about?

So, I unclasped the vervain from my anklet and put it on top of the pictures – he would know that I knew. I grabbed the car keys in my hand and rushed down the stairs and out the door, but I didn't see Stefan or Shelby. Quickly, I unlocked my car and headed out, my lead foot showing again. I pressed down harder on it as I drove down the highway back to my house. Was everything I was told a lie? What did this mean, anyway? Did it mean that I was Elizabeth – that Elizabeth was me?

This made _no _sense.

I looked back in the rearview mirror to make sure that everything was okay behind the car. Distractions. Distractions. What would I do? How would I approach Stefan with this? Stefan would know, of course, because I left my anklet at his house. But what then? What now?

And that's when I saw a figure in the middle of the street, and I tried to stop myself. But the car was going to fast, and when I stopped, the person hit my car window, and it wasn't long before the car flipped over multiple times before it came to a complete stop.

And, somehow, I was still alive.

* * *

**Next up, _Bloodlines. _One of my favorite episodes in the season, even though it was all about Delena. To be honest, I don't even imagine Elena anymore. I guess I've altered myself :P**

**Again, if you will, please review. And if you can, I would love it if you voted on my poll. Thank you for both if you do them! **

_**Love, **_

_**BellaSalvatore1918**_

_**X**_


	11. Bloodlines

**Exams are coming up, so I won't be updating for the first couple days next week. I'm going to try and update at least one chapter of everything this weekend so that it will hold everyone off for a while. Anyways, if you didn't notice, I changed the page breakers back to lines. I was doing an experiment with the X's and I decided that I don't really like them that much. Huh. It's weird, I just don't. But, when I do shift POVs (because I will, eventually), there will be two x's (XX) to indicate it. It should be pretty obvious, especially now that I changed page breakers to lines. **

**So, one of my favorite episodes of season 1. I hope that you all like it as well, and I hope everything makes sense at the end of the chapter about what Anastasia is. **

**Thank you for the reviews, as usual, and please review again at the end of the chapter if you can. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot**

* * *

**Bloodlines**

How the _hell _was I going to get out of this one?

I was alive, but barely holding on. I was also upside down, with no way out. How would I get out? I coughed once and looked around, trying to figure out a way to get myself out of the damaged car without breaking my skull or something stupid like that.

_Oh, God,_ I thought as I saw a black figure beside the car. _I hit someone. _

But it wasn't just…_someone _that I hit. The figure, oddly enough, began to get up, and I saw it all with my own eyes. The figure cracked its legs out, and stood, as if it weren't harmed at all. But I _hit _someone! My car did a three-sixty because I _hit _someone.

And then I realized. _Vampire._

And it was coming for me.

I tried desperately to get out again, but how would I do it? I can't outrun a vampire. I can't outrun a vampire. I can't outrun a—

Just as I let out a scream and thought that the figure was going to come and kill me, it fled quickly. I stared out the shattered window, confused.

And that's when I let out another scream, because Damon was in front of me, his eyes full of fake concern. "How ya doing in there?" Damon said, almost playful. But behind the theatrics, I could see that he was thinking about how to get me out. I swallowed and looked at him, confused.

"Damon?" I gasped.

"You look stuck," he commented. I tried to unclasp my seatbelt from my body, but it was jammed.

"It's my seatbelt." I swallowed again. All of the blood in my body was rushing to my head, and I was beginning to feel light-headed. "I can't…I can't…"

"Shh," Damon hushed me. "Let me get you out of here. I want you to put your hands on the roof," he instructed me. I did as told. "Just like that. You ready?" I nodded at him. "One…two…three." He pulled something, and I fell out of the car with a scream, but Damon caught me. "I got you. I got you," he assured. "Are you okay?" I was in his arms now – that much I was aware of. "Can you stand? Anything broken?" I groaned in a mere response. The blood that rushed itself to my head…I was light-headed. I was going to throw up…or pass out. One of the two. Damon set me down, and I held onto him – for fear that if I tried to walk, I would fall down and wouldn't be able to get up. Sure enough, as he tried to let me loose, I stumbled backwards, and he caught me. "Whoa!" he shouted, pulling me back up. "You're fading fast. Ana?" There was a hand in my hair. Why was there a hand in my hair? "Anastasia? Look at me." But my eyes felt so much better closed… "Focus," he instructed. Now there was a hand on my lips. What? I opened my eyes and looked at him, but he was doubling. I felt sick. "Look at me." I looked at him. "Okay," he breathed out.

"I look like her," I choked out, because it was the only thing on my mind. Those pictures. Those girls. The girls that look like me. Elizabeth. I looked like Elizabeth. Why did I look like Elizabeth?

"What?" Damon demanded.

"Elizabeth," I explained. "V-Veronica…Amelia…Wendy…" I listed the names, but I was going quickly, that much I knew. It was hard to speak. "I…I look like them…Why do I look like them?" Damon stared at me for a moment and opened his mouth, but my vision faded away, and I felt my body give in.

* * *

The sound of a roaring engine brought me back to the state of consciousness, but barely. I opened my eyes to find the world passing me by – trees, buildings, fields. It was going way to quickly...like I was moving. Why was I moving? I wasn't walking. I wasn't even fully conscious yet! I thought about it for a single second, and then it hit me.

I was in a car.

But...why?

I sat up straight in my seat, looking outside the window. Where _was _I? It sure as hell wasn't Mystic Falls. But when I looked to the side, all questions were answered.

"Morning." Damon shot me a smile.

I looked around, the bright light blinding me in the slightest. I was in Damon's car? Why? I ran a hand through my hair. "Where are we?" I asked, my voice groggy. What happened to me?

"Georgia," he sung.

I was silent for a moment as I looked at Damon, but his expression didn't move...he just smiled. I gave him a false smile and laughed bitterly. "That's funny, I thought you just said that we're in Georgia," I shot.

"Because I did," Damon replied, glancing over at me.

"No," I told him, straightening immediately, though it probably wasn't such a good idea. I continued, regardless. "No. No, you didn't. We're not in Georgia. No. Seriously, Damon, where the hell are we?" I looked out the window and the windshield, frantic, as Damon spoke.

"Seriously." Damon nodded. "We're-We're in Georgia." I groaned. _No! _I can't be in _Georgia!_ "How ya feeling?" he asked me, getting off the topic.

"I…I—"

"There's no broken bones," Damon interrupted me. "I checked," he assured me. He..._checked_? I was too distracted to think about that now. I brought my hand up to my forehead and felt a small gash on the skin, probably from the shattered glass. I thought back to the car accident.

"My car," I said slowly. "A man…I hit someone, Damon." I paused. "But he got up." I threw a glance at him. "Do you know who it was?"

Damon shook his head. "That's what I would_ like_ to know." I looked around frantically.

"Where's my phone?" I dug around the surface of Damon's car. "I need to go back. No one knows where I am, I left without saying goodbye to Shelby, my mom is going _kill _me!" I rushed out. Damon said nothing. "Pull over," I demanded of him when it was clear that my phone was nowhere near me at the moment. Damon was silent still. "Damon, I'm not kidding, _pull over_!" He sighed at me. "Are vampires deaf or something?" Quiet again. "Stop the car, Damon!"

Damon groaned. "Oh, you were so much more fun when you were _asleep_!" he complained. I seriously couldn't care less about what he thought of me. Damon came to a stop on the side of the road and I tried to step out immediately, but my body was so sore. I felt like throwing up. Yeah. That was good. Throwing up. Throwing up sounded _really _good. I stopped myself, leaned over, and braced for the upchuck; and there was suddenly a hand on my arm as I felt Damon's presence beside me. "Hey," he said softly. I looked down at him as he expressed concern. I swallowed down the bile.

"I'm good," I promised him and got out of his grasp. "Damon, please. Take me back."

"Oh, _come on_!" Damon groaned. "Look, we've already come this far. And, I distinctly remember you telling me something about how you've never been out of Virginia before…" I stared at him, not amused, though he was.

"Why are you doing this?" I replied, incredulous. "I can't be here…in…_Georgia. _I have a life, you know. I also wrecked my _car_!" Damon sighed. "Please, Damon, take me home." He was silent _again_. I became frustrated. "For the love of God, Damon!"

"Don't be melodramatic," he warned me. I shook my head at him.

"This isn't funny. You can't do this! I'm not going to Georgia."

"Oh, you're in Georgia," Damon responded, crossing his arms and leaning against the car. I looked around me. Yeah, he was right. But I didn't want to be in Georgia, I wanted to be _home. _How would I find my car? "Without your little anklet, might I add," Damon added, smirking as he looked down at my ankle. I turned back to him. He was right. I had taken my anklet off. "I could very easily make you…_agreeable." _

I looked back at him. "You're threatening me?" I asked him in disbelief. Damon shrugged.

"Hey, I'm merely stating that you're here with no protection against compulsion." I seethed. "Besides, it's too late to turn back now. If I have to make you..._agreeable, _I will."

"You wouldn't." I narrowed my eyes.

Damon smirked widely. "Oh, I would."

We were only at an impasse now. As I opened my mouth to speak, a phone rang, and I immediately recognized the ringtone. "You have my phone?" I snapped at him. Damon sighed and brought the phone out.

"Mm," he said, realizing who it was. "It's your boyfriend." I raised my eyebrows at him. "Stef," he clarified. I shifted as it rang and turned away. I didn't want to talk to him. Damon shrugged. "I'll take it." And, he did. "Ana's phone." Damon was silent for a moment and I saw him glance at me as I paced, wondering what the _hell _I was going to do now. "Anastasia? She's right here. And, yes, she's…_fine_." I didn't miss the alternate meaning to that. I grimaced at him and Damon went silent for a while before holding out the phone. "He wants to talk to you," he told me. I looked at Damon and said nothing, and he just pulled the phone back to his ear, frustrated. "Yeah. I don't…I don't think she really wants to talk to you right now." Silence again. "You have a good day," Damon said, chipper. "Mm. Bye now." And, with that, he hung up the phone. "Oh, Stefan," Damon sighed. "Always doubting me."

"He has a right to!" I yelled. Damon just stared at me and I let out a large exhale and tried to approach this situation in a way that Damon would understand and comply with me. "Look, Damon, no one knows where I am. Please, can I just go back?"

"We're almost there," Damon said in a pleading tone.

"There?" I repeated.

"A little place right outside of Atlanta," he explained. I sighed. Why? Why did I have to get stuck with _him_? Of all people."Oh, come on, Anastasia. You don't wanna go back right _now_, do you?" I sighed. "What's the rush? Time-out!" He made a gesture with his hands. "Trust me. Your problems are still going to be there when you get home." I trailed my eyes down. Did I dare? No. "Look, step away from your life for _five _minutes." I looked up at him. "Five minutes," he proposed with a smirk. I turned my cheek away from him and paced. It was so appealing to just…do what he was suggesting. But with Damon? Without vervain? I sighed and turned back to him.

"I'm not wearing vervain," I told him briskly. "Am I going to be safe with you?"

"Yes."

"You _promise _not to compel me?"

"Yes."

"Can I _trust_ you?" I asked pointedly, waiting for the expected answer: _no_.

Damon took a moment of hesitation before jerking his head back and smiling. "Get in the car. Come on." Well, that was an answer. But, after all of that, I got into the car, and we continued driving.

"What about my car?" I asked him after a while with a heavy sigh.

"Ah, I pulled it off to the side of the road. I don't think anyone will bother it," he responded.

"And that man in the road?" I questioned. "He was a vampire, wasn't he?"

Damon nodded. "From what I could tell? Yeah."

"You said you didn't know him?"

"If I've never met him, I wouldn't know him. I mean, it's not like we all hang out together at the vamp bar and grill," he mocked me. I shrugged.

"I'm not a vampire," I retorted. "I don't know how it goes." Damon hummed under his breath. We drove for a little while longer until we stopped outside a bar, right out of Atlanta – just like he said. "A bar?" I said as got out of the car. "A _bar_? Seriously, Damon?"

"What?" Damon smirked.

I scowled. "You know they're not going to let me in, right? I'm underage," I pointed out.

"Sure they will," Damon said, winking at me and jerking his head towards the bar. "Come on." He clapped his hands, ordering me to speed up. I slammed his car door and walked around the convertible to catch up with him. We walked inside, and I looked around. There weren't a lot of people there, but there wasn't a shortage. Suddenly, someone spoke to us.

"No," that person said. "No, it can't be." I saw a smile stretch across Damon's face. What was going on? "Damon?" the woman gasped. Was I brought here on a social call? _Really? _The woman from behind the bar counter swung her legs off of it and crossed that line to walk over to Damon. "My honey pie!" she exclaimed.

"Mmm," Damon agreed and launched forward, and my eyes widened at the sight. The woman and Damon started kissing…and kissing…and kissing. Until he finally pulled away, but then he pulled them back again. I just stared at him. What the hell was going on here?

* * *

"Listen up, everybody!" Bree, as I had collected, raised a bottle of alcohol to the whole bar. "Here's to the man that broke my heart"—she poured a shot—"crushed my soul"—poured another—"destroyed my life"—and another—"and ruined any and all chances of happiness!" Well, she didn't have to sound so energetic about it…

Bree put the shot glasses in front of me and Damon. "Drink up!" she yelled, toasting to Damon. Damon toasted back to her and I grabbed the shot glass in front of me, ready to knock it back. Instead, Damon grabbed the glass from my hand and drank it for me.

"Hey," I whispered angrily. "That was mine." He hushed me and put the shot glass down in front of me, drained.

"Whoo!" Bree exhaled and turned back to Damon. "So," she started and turned to me. "How'd he rope you in?"

I nearly choked, which let an amusing smile loose on Damon's face, obviously. "Uh, no, I'm not—"

"Honey, if you're not roped, you're whipped," she said, not giving me a chance to finish. "Either way, just enjoy the ride!"

That didn't make sense. "Okay..." I said, deciding not to argue with it. "So…how did you two meet?" I asked, looking at Damon and then back at Bree. Bree chuckled.

"College," she responded. I widened my eyes. Damon Salvatore going to college. I looked over at him.

"_You _and _college _in the same sentence?" I asked, stunned.

Damon shrugged. "I've...been on a college campus, yes." He smiled and tilted another shot glass back to his lips and drank. I resisted a smile at him.

Bree chuckled again and launched into a story. "About twenty years ago, when I was a sweet, young freshman, I met this beautiful man, and I fell in love." I needed a drink if I was going to listen to this. "And then he told me about his little _secret. _Made me love him even more." Damon Salvatore, as a vampire, in love? How was that even possible for him? I couldn't see it – him being all sweet and kind with flowers and candy. It just wasn't...him. "Because, you see, I had a little secret of my own that, uh, I was _dying _to share with somebody."

Damon leaned towards me. "She's a witch," he whispered in my ear. Surprised, I looked at Bree.

"Changed my world."

Damon gave her a smirk. "I _rocked _your world!" he said cockily. Bree laughed and turned to me.

"He _is _good in the sack, isn't he?" I coughed at the question, and I could just see the painted smile on the vampire's face beside me. Before I could object to the comment, Bree moved on. "But, mostly, he's just a walkaway-Joe." She tilted her shot glass to him and downed it quick. I snuck a glance at Damon. "So," she began. "What is it that you want?"

After Damon dodged the question and moved onto a different topic, I decided to go outside and make sure that my mother didn't call the cops and send out a search party for me, if she cared enough, that was. That was the strange thing about my mother; she didn't care enough to be home or feed me or ask about my day, she only wanted to know where I was and when I was every single day.

So, I stepped outside and called her from my phone.

"_Anastasia?"_ my mom said to me over the line. _"Where are you? You didn't come home last night."_

"I stayed over at Elena's," I lied to her. "I just wanted to call you and say that everything's okay. I really just wanted to get to school this morning, so I didn't come home."

"_Well...a__re you all right?" _

I nodded. "Yep. Yep, I'm fine." Besides the fact that I was with a serial killer.

"_Okay. That's good, though you know to check in with me when you decide to stay over someone's house, Ana._" I rolled my eyes at the statement and I heard her speak something else, but it wasn't to me. I waited. "_Listen, Ana, I need to go. I'll see you at home." _And, with that, she hung up the phone and the line went dead. Awesome. But before I was able to go back inside, my phone rang again. I saw from Caller ID that it was Stefan. I thought, for just a second, that I could send it to voicemail, but I ended up answering it.

"_Anastasia, is that you?" _

"I'm here," I told him.

"_Where are you?" _he demanded. I avoided the question.

"I-I don't know what to think anymore, Stefan," I stuttered. "You lied to me. What the hell is even going on, I have _no _idea what to make of all of this."

"_Let me explain it to you, please. Just tell me where you are so I can come get you." _

"Why do you have all those pictures of me? Why are they dated back in the nineteen hundreds with different names? Why does _Elizabeth _look like me?"

"_It's going to take a lot of time to explain, Ana, please—"_

"How am I supposed to believe anything you say, Stefan?"

"_Listen—" _But the phone call was only making me angry. I pulled the phone down and ended the call to turn around and go back into the bar, but instead, Damon was standing behind me, concerned. I couldn't tell whether it was fake or real, but – knowing Damon? It was probably fake.

"You okay?" he asked me.

I sighed. "Stop pretending to care, Damon, it's not fooling me." He was silent. "Can we go now?"

"I was thinking that we could have a bite to eat," Damon admitted. I stiffened. "Oh, relax. Seriously. I meant food. Human food. Like a hamburger," he offered, gesturing into the bar. I stared at him.

"What's your angle?" I tried.

Damon frowned at me. "Always with the agendas, right?" Damon sighed. "What if I'm just _actually _trying to have a good time with you?" he proposed.

I stared at him for a while, trying to figure him out. He was so complicated.

But I think I cracked it. "What do you know?" I started. He raised his eyebrows. "What do you know about me looking like Elizabeth and…_all _of those other girls?"

Damon let out a deep breath. "It's…complicated," he admitted. I crossed my arms. "Listen, I know that you're confused, and I'll explain. Just let me buy you something to eat and we'll talk about it, okay?" he proposed. I stared at him for a moment before giving in, and we walked back into the bar, where we ordered food.

"Okay," I said after Bree got us our food and we began to eat. "Start talking. Am I like an altered version of a vampire or something?"

Damon raised his eyebrows. "An altered version of a vampire or something?" he repeated. I shrugged.

"What? Is it possible?"

Damon scoffed. "No. Vampires can't be altered. They can't even procreate." He paused. "But we love to try," he teased. I frowned at him.

"So what am I, then?" I pushed.

Damon shrugged. "You're Elizabeth," he said simply. I stared at him, waiting so he could continue. "And Veronica...and Amelia...and Wendy...you see where this goes, don't you?" He put a fry into his mouth and smiled at me.

"I seriously have no clue what you're trying to explain to me."

Damon sighed. "You know, I _always _hated explaining this to you. I mean, it's so _damn _complicated. Well, I mean, I really haven't been back to see you in two lives, but—"

"Are you just going to keep being this cryptic about everything for the rest of our day together?" I snapped.

Damon laughed and shrugged while fitting another fry into his mouth. "Stefan explains it better. I've been out of practice," he admitted, shutting off that part of the conversation.

I stared at him. "But, if I'm Elizabeth, doesn't that mean that you're in love with me?" I proposed, pushing my pickles to the side of the tray that I was given.

Damon looked at me, staring straight into my eyes. He scoffed, "You wish." I rolled my eyes at him and picked at the food on my plate when I heard Damon exhale greatly. "Was," he corrected, and I heard the voice in my ear. I glanced over at him to find him closer to me than he was before. "I _was_." We stared for another moment and I swallowed. Before I could speak, Damon reached over and grabbed the pickles I set aside. "You don't like pickles? What's wrong with you?"

I decided not to push my luck with the whole "Elizabeth" thing. "How can you even eat?" I asked him. "You know, if technically, you're supposed to be..._dead_ and whatnot?"

Damon shrugged. "As long as I keep a healthy diet of blood in my system, my body functions pretty normally," he admitted. He threw a fry into his mouth and I laughed.

"This is too weird," I admitted. He raised his eyebrows. "This nice act?" I prompted. Damon shrugged. "Is it real?" I asked, curious. Damon looked over at me, and I eyed him. He opened his mouth to answer the question, but Bree came over with another beer for Damon so he didn't respond.

"Here you go, honey," she said sweetly to him as she replaced his drink.

"Thank you."

I looked up at Bree. _One, _I thought. _Just...one_. "Can I get one of those?" I asked her, pointing to Damon's drink.

The vampire beside me almost choked on his drink. "Hmm?" Damon asked, surprised, as Bree nodded and went to get my drink. I didn't really blame him for being surprised...after all, he did meet me after I became the nicer version of Anastasia Miller.

I shrugged. "Time out, remember?" I reminded him. "Five minutes and all that. Besides, this isn't my first rodeo." I bumped Damon in the shoulder and he smiled. "You should've met me a couple months ago. By now, I'd drink you under the table."

"Mm, what happened to that girl?" he questioned me, raising his eyebrows. Bree gave me my beer and I thanked her before turning to Damon, pointing the glass at him. Damon grabbed his beer bottle and tapped mine.

"Get me drunk and you'll find out."

* * *

"Ready…Go!"

I quickly pulled the shot glass up to my lips and drank it down whole, slamming it down before anyone else besides Damon could even get the glass to their lips. I put my hands up in the air and laughed, but Damon was next to me, the alcohol spilling out of his mouth, and he tried to wipe it away stealthily. I laughed at him. "Can't hold your liquor, Damon?" I challenged. "Need a bib?" My mouth turned down in a pout.

Damon wiped his mouth and looked at me with a twitching smile at his lips. "Sorry I can't unhinge my jaw like a _snake _to consume alcohol," he said, looking pointedly at me, but I knew that it was playful.

"Mm," I agreed, grinning at him. "One of the _many _things I'm good at." I smiled and turned from him to resist seeing his reaction and shrugged before looking at Bree. "Come on! Another round! I'm ready!" I was also a _tiny _bit drunk.

"Honey," a woman beside me said drunkenly. She laughed. "You should be on the _floor_."

"I am _so _not drunk!" I protested, though it was a lie. "I mean, my tolerance is like…_wayyy…wayyy…wayyy _higher than this! It's like...up...here!" I looked up at the ceiling and jumped, but I stumbled, and Damon caught me with his arms around my waist. I laughed uncontrollably. Okay, so maybe I was a little drunker than I thought.

"Careful," Damon warned me. I grasped his hands in mine and fit my fingers through his with a laugh, though I wasn't completely sure what I was doing. Damon stared at me and our hands before I pushed him away from me.

"Whatever," I replied with a smile and turned my head just as Bree called another round, giving me a shot. I took it in my hands and tilted it back so that it went down my throat. I returned to my original line of sight to catch Damon staring at me. "What?" I chuckled at him. "I told you, you get me drunk enough, you'll see the real Anastasia." I blew out a _long _breath of air. "And you got her, buddy." I raised a finger and pointed at his chest. Yeah, I was drunk. Damon caught my finger in his hand and pulled me closer.

"Buddy?" he challenged, grinning.

"Buddy," I agreed.

"You're drunk," Damon accused.

"Sure." I shrugged and pulled my hand back. "Won't stop me from getting another round. Bree!" I shouted, pulling her back to me.

"If you puke, Anastasia, you're cleaning it up," Damon warned. I turned my head and tapped his face twice.

"Yes, you can clean it up, Damon, I won't mind." I saw his mouth twitch up in a smile and I looked around at the few people in the bar, some of them playing pool and others just hanging around with their friends. Damon's voice pulled me back to him.

"Enough of the drinks, Anastasia, try and sober up a little," Damon suggested. I pouted at him again, but he didn't move. I groaned.

"I thought you were supposed to be fun!" I complained.

"You have a _whole _other definition of fun than I thought you would, and at this rate, you're going to do something that you don't want to do." I stuck my lip out and he chuckled. "And you're _definitely _going to end up blaming me for it," he admitted. I smiled vindictively, but gave in.

"Ugh. Fine! You buzz kill." I walked away from him and went over to the billiard tables, and I decided to play a round of the game…against myself. I grabbed a cue stick and, after a while, realized that I _sucked _at playing pool by myself. But, when one ball sunk into the pocket, I jumped up in the air and felt like shouting from the rooftops. I looked around for Damon, but instead, I heard my phone ring.

_Shit, _I thought before running over to my phone and grabbing it from the table. "H-Hello?" I stuttered.

"_Anastasia?" _ It was Shelby.

"Shelby!" I shouted over the phone.

"_Anastasia, where are you? I can't hear you!" _

"Hold on!" I said, switching the phone to be kept in my ear and my shoulder while I slipped my jacket on and tried to go outside. Meanwhile, Shelby's voice was still in my ear. I only caught glimpses: _Where…Stefan…Are…Please…_ "Hold on!" I tried again. "Hold on, hold on!" I went out the back door, only to stumble over my two feet and fall to the floor. I quickly realized that I dropped my phone after I tried to get up, and I picked it up with a groan. "Hel—"

Before I could say anything else, the phone was knocked out of my hand and a cold, sweaty palm was placed over my mouth. I kicked and I screamed, suddenly sobering up at the experience. Why was I being taken? What the hell was happening? I tried to scream Damon's name, but nothing came out. Only a mumble. The person that was holding me was…_strong. _

Like a vampire. Oh, God. Was a vampire taking me? Why was a vampire taking me?

When I was thrust into an electrical unit behind a caged fence and told to stay there, I spoke. "What are you doing?" My attacker didn't answer. "There's someone who will—"

"I know," the man said, cutting me off. I blinked.

"You do?"

"Yes." I stared for a moment, trying to figure out what he was telling me. Was this...?

This was a set up. This was a set up for _Damon. _

It was only a little while later when I saw Damon stumble up to where I was taken, shouting my name, but I shook my head at him as he spotted me. "Damon—" I tried to warn him, but it was too late. My attacker rushed out and hit Damon in the stomach. I shouted for the man to stop, but he wouldn't. He just kept beating Damon and beating Damon and beating Damon. I quickly tried to make my way out of the voltage unit I was shoved in, just in time to see the man douse Damon in gasoline. I knew what would be coming next. "No!" yelled. "Please! _Please _stop!"

The man looked back at me with eyes like a vampire's and teeth barred. I stayed away, but I didn't want to. But if I tried anything, he would kill me, too. I needed to do something different.

"Who are you?" Damon choked as the man doused him in gasoline once more.

"That's _perfect_," the man sneered. "You have no idea!"

"What are you talking about? What did he do?"

The man turned around at me. "He killed my girlfriend," he said angrily. I raised my eyebrows. When? The man turned back around at Damon and began to shower him with the gasoline again. "What did she do to you, huh? What did she do to you?" the man growled.

"Nothing," Damon said simply. I felt like slapping him in the face.

"No, please," I said as the man tossed the gasoline tank away. "I-I don't understand—"

"My girlfriend went to visit Stefan," he said without turning. "And _Damon _killed her, got it?" he snarled.

I paused for a moment. Visit Stefan…

The man kicked Damon in the head again just as I thought of who it might've been. _Lexi? _"Lexi?" I repeated my thoughts. "Was your girlfriend's name Lexi?"

He turned around at me and nodded. I felt my breath catch when he pulled out a lighter, and I knew what was going to happen to Damon. No. I couldn't let it happen to him.

"Lexi turned you?" I questioned, unsure.

The man turned around. "If you want to be with someone forever, you have to live forever." I was silent, and Lexi's boyfriend just turned around and kicked Damon in the head. I shook my head and grasped at straws.

"S-She loved you," I blurted out, though I didn't know. "She loved you," I repeated. "Don't do this. Getting revenge for her death won't make anything better – _please_. Don't hurt him," I begged. I could see Damon look up at me from the ground. I remembered what Shelby repeated to me after Lexi died. "She loved you," I repeated. "She said that when it's real, you can't walk away." I swallowed.

The man turned around again, his eyes full of tears. "Well, that's a choice you're not going to have to make." He turned around to Damon, and I knew I had to stall longer until I figured something out.

"No!" I shouted. "Please. Please. Don't do this. _Don't _hurt him."

"I'll be doing you a favor!"

"Be better than him," I blurted out. "Don't do this. Lexi was good – she was kind, and if she loved you, you must've been good, too. Don't be like him, don't make that same mistake. I'm begging, you. _Please." _

I watched as the man turned around at me once more, his fangs barred again and the veins out from his eyes. He picked Damon up from the ground and I let my breath catch for a moment. _Don't hurt him,_ I pleaded. I didn't like Damon, but I didn't want him to die. Especially not over something like this. Revenge. He deserved it, but...well, I wasn't so sure about it anymore. Without warning, the man threw Damon back so hard that he hit the nearest wall and fell to the ground. I finally let a breath out.

"Thank you," I whispered to the man as he looked at me.

He swallowed. "It wasn't for you." And he was gone. I watched him leave and then my eyes rested on Damon, and I ran over to him as fast as I could. He was groaning and moaning out of pain, and I tried to help him.

"Shh," I tried. "Damon, hey. It's okay. It's okay. Come on." I tried to pull him up, but he was so heavy. I managed to get him sitting upright. "You're okay." I swallowed. "Let's get back to the bar, okay?" Damon nodded and he groaned as I pulled him up and we walked back to the bar.

* * *

"So, why _did_ you bring me with you?" I asked Damon as we rode in the car together early the next morning to go back to Mystic Falls. "You could've just left me on the side of the road. Or saved me and dropped me off at home or something. Why _take_ me?" I challenged.

"Well, you're not the _worst _company in the world, Anastasia," Damon teased me, shooting me a smile. I scowled at him, but it was playful.

"By that, you mean that you liked the old, _drunk _Anastasia," I countered, shooting a knowing glance at him. I didn't remember much of the night besides Damon almost getting murdered by another vampire, but I remembered enough. And, I was also aware of the moves that the drunken me decided to pull on Damon, which he thankfully stopped. He was right; if we had done anything that I indirectly suggested, I probably would've blamed him.

Damon shrugged. "Okay, yeah, maybe I liked it a little bit," he admitted. "You should give your old self more credit. She's hot."

"And I'm _not_?"

"I'm not saying that," Damon returned, moving his eyes over to me in a Damon-like manner. "She's just a little more..._agreeable _than the sober you," he said, and I knew exactly what he meant.

"Seriously?" I frowned. His lips turned up in a smile. "Come on, Damon. Why'd you _really _bring me with you?" I pushed.

Damon sighed. "Well, you were there in the road…all damsel in distress-like." He paused. "And I knew it'd piss of Stefan." I smiled...just the tiniest bit. "And—"

"And you're really in love with me because I'm somehow this Elizabeth chick that you and that guy Derek fell in love with a hundred years ago?" I filled in, shrugging and looking towards the open road. Damon turned his head at me and smiled again.

"_Not _what I was going to say."

"Mm." I nodded, but I saw right through him. Again, I decided not to push the topic and turned back to face him. "So what _were _you going to say?"

Damon was hesitant. "You're not the _worst _company in the world, Anastasia," he repeated at last.

I looked at him for a while before sighing. "I used to be a _lot _more fun," I told him.

"Is that even _possible_?"

"Actually?" I turned to look at him, and he looked at me in response. "It is," I whispered at him. Damon dropped his smile and I bit my lip, slightly proud. I sighed heavily. "You know," I began. "I saved your life," I relayed smugly.

Damon turned to me. "I know."

"You better not forget it."

"I won't."

"And now _you _owe _me _a favor," I countered. Damon laughed.

"In your dreams." He cocked a grin and me and I just shook my head and laughed as we sped down the highway to finally go home.

Though, instead, Damon dropped me off at the boarding house. I told him that he could come inside, but he didn't want to. Instead, I went in alone, and I walked upstairs to Stefan's bedroom just as I did the night before. When Stefan saw me, he looked up at me.

"Hi," I started. Stefan got up from his seat.

"Hi," he responded. Both of us stayed like that for the longest time.

"You could have told me," I said seriously, breaking the ice between us.

"I wanted to tell you," Stefan replied, sincere.

"Then start talking," I suggested, walking forward. "Because I just _can't _figure it out. I'm Elizabeth, but…_how_? It just doesn't make _any _sense at all...and you want to know why?" I demanded. Stefan was quiet. "Because you _lied _to me. You didn't tell me about who I really am. You made her seem like she was different than me."

"She _is _different than you." I was silent this time. "You are different. I didn't tell you this secret because it is the _one _thing that can destroy you."

"How?" I responded. "How is knowing this going to destroy me, Stefan? It's just another twisted fate in this messed up world that I was dragged into."

"I have tried to keep you alive," Stefan growled at me. I looked at him, confused. "I tried ever since I found out," he explained, cryptic like Damon. "But every time, I came into your life and I told you about me, I also told you about yourself. And every time, you died just as you always did."

I shook my head. "I…I don't understand, what are you saying to me?"

Stefan sighed. "You're a ticking time bomb," he explained to me, exasperated. "Every life you've ever lived, you have never lived past eighteen." Every _life_? So…I really _am_ Elizabeth? I really am everyone else in those pictures? "You die that year, the year that you turn eighteen. There's no way of telling what exact day it is or how you die, but you do." I gulped. "You _die_. And I've tried to save you…_countless _times. It takes me..._forever_ to track you down, but when I do, I come into your life and I _help _you. I haven't been there every life, but I've been through enough. You don't remember me, you don't remember anyone. You stay that way until the last day." He paused. "But...sometimes, you don't get to remember. Sometimes, you don't make it that far." I swallowed. "That's why I try to help. I try and come whenever I can to make sure you're okay. I try and help."

"So…when we met?" I asked, confused. "That first night at the Grill when Shelby brought you in, that was _planned_?" I whispered. How was this possible? I was…reincarnated? Is that what I was hearing? I died when I was eighteen, I was brought back to life, and I died again? And I never remembered a thing until the very end?

Stefan shook his head. "It wasn't the first time I met you, either."

I crossed my arms. "Well, obviously, if you've tried to save me in every other…" I swallowed. "_Life _I've had."

Stefan shook his head again. "No, Anastasia, it wasn't the first time I met…_you_. You, Anastasia. It wasn't the first time."

I blinked at him. "Then when _was _the first time we met?"

Stefan was silent. "April seventeenth," Stefan answered. I widened my eyes. "Two-thousand-nine."

I stared at him for a moment before speaking. "No," I whispered. "That was—"

"That was the day your father's car drove off the bridge with you inside," Stefan finished for me, nodding. I shook my head at him. _No_. "I was there. I saved you from the wreck. You were…unconscious," he told me. I shook my head again, refusing to believe him. This wasn't happening. "Your dad wasn't. He asked me to save you, and I did. But by the time I went back for him, it was too late."

I turned from Stefan, trying not to cry. My father put me first? He saved my life? Why? I was a terrible person – I did terrible things. "They couldn't figure out why I got out of the car," I said, turning back around to Stefan. "They said it was a miracle but it wasn't." I clutched my stomach. "It was…it was _you_."

Stefan nodded. "I had tracked you down by then, that's why I was there. I had…_no _idea why you were back in Mystic Falls again. When you die, you automatically get reborn, and it's almost never in the same place twice. I found you kept an eye on you, I stopped by to see Zach – to see my home. I went looking for you to keep watch, and that's when it happened. That's when I saved you." I swallowed hard. "Before I had saved you, I had decided that I was going to try something different with this life – try keeping myself in the shadows and wait for the right time to save you; see if it worked better that way." Stefan shook his head. "After the accident, I knew that wasn't the right thing to do. I watched you, I learned what I needed, and I came into your life." He paused. "But I couldn't…" Stefan trailed off, like it was hard for him to get it out. "I decided that it would be safer for all of us if I kept everything a secret. If I became friends with you, like I always do, but this time change my method. Kept my secret and yours hidden."

I looked at him and swallowed again, feeling bile in my mouth. I was going to be sick. So sick. Why was this happening to me? "So you've been looking out for me for a hundred years?" I asked, my mouth dry.

Stefan shook his head. "No," he answered. "Like I said, not all the time. I was there for the life you lived after Elizabeth, but...I was in no condition to track you down." He swallowed. "But Damon...Damon did."

I looked up at Stefan. "Damon?" I asked. "W-Why?"

"Derek told me _everything _before he went into the church after you – after Elizabeth," Stefan explained. "When I told Damon, he thought it was his job to do it since Derek was dead. He went after you, he looked after you. I don't know, you'd have to ask him everything he did." I let my eyes slide to the floor. "But he gave up. I don't know why, but he did. After your life in nineteen eighteen. When I found out about it, I stepped in and I helped you. You and Damon haven't met since you were Rose Alexander." I knew Damon before? How? This was all so _confusing. _I tried to keep myself stable.

"So I can be…born to anyone?" I questioned him. Stefan nodded.

"There's something else," he started. What was it now? "Do you remember me telling you about Katherine?" I nodded. "Katherine…Katherine and Elena are…" He sighed. "I don't know how to tell you, so I'll…I'll show you." He turned around to a chest and brought something out. It was a book – an old one. A journal. He reached inside and grabbed something before putting the journal back and shutting the chest. He moved towards me and handed me the picture.

"Oh my God," I whispered, looking at it. It was…_Elena. _The girl in the picture was _Elena. _But it was labeled Katherine. "Is she…?"

"Like you?" Stefan filled in. I nodded. "No. Elena's _not _Katherine. I made sure of that. But, she's related to Katherine, and the resemblance is—"

"Astonishing," I whispered, cutting him off. "They look exactly alike," I finished.

Stefan nodded. "I think you should be the one to tell her," he admitted. I nodded at him.

"I will." I held up the picture. "Can I..?"

"Yeah. Just bring it back when you're done." I nodded again and looked up at him with a sharp inhale.

"But, wait," I started. "If you were in love with Katherine…why wouldn't you go for Elena? Why Shelby?"

Stefan was silent. "I…uh…already told Shelby that part," Stefan admitted. I waited for him to continue. The Salvatore sighed. "My love for Katherine wasn't real. I knew that after I turned. But when I came into your life in nineteen thirty-five, you were Veronica Welch, and Shelby was Melissa Johnson." I blinked at him.

Shelby was like me, too?

I wasn't given the chance to ask, though the answer was pretty clear. Stefan continued, "In eighteen sixty-four, you had one friend other than me and Damon. A girl. Her name was Bridget Mitchell. Before you died, you enlisted Emily into helping you with something that you wanted."

"What?" I breathed, trying to wrap my head around everything. We were together in this? Repeating lives over and over again for eighteen years?

"You asked Emily to put a spell on her," Stefan answered. "So that you wouldn't have to go through each life with no friends and only wait for someone like me or Damon or Derek to come and help you. Emily put a spell on Bridget to make her come back just like you did, and she'd die when you died, and the other way around. Only, she didn't have the catch like you."

"W-What are you talking about?" I asked, holding my hands up. "What _catch_?"

"Each time you die," he started. "_You_ – the real _you_ – gets…" Stefan trailed off, searching for the right term. "_Darker_," he answered. "The spell on Shelby won't last forever, but yours does. That's why she doesn't have that catch," he explained.

I paused, again trying to fit my head around the situation. "So you're saying that I am just a terrible person by…_nature_?" I prompted. Stefan was silent. "Well, that just makes _everything _better," I said sarcastically and sighed. "So you were in love with her?" I questioned. "Bridget?"

Stefan shook his head. "I was in love with Katherine in eighteen sixty-four, not Bridget. But, in nineteen thirty-five, that's when it changed. That's when I started seeing her."

I let out a deep breath. So my best friend was...really _my_ best friend? Elizabeth's, Veronica's, Amelia's, Wendy's...how was this even possible? Stefan was quiet, and I could tell that he was staring at me. When I looked up, I knew something was wrong. "What is it, Stefan?"

"I don't think—"

"Do _not _keep any more secrets from me," I snapped, though I didn't mean for it to come out as harsh as it did. But I needed the truth. No more lies.

Stefan nodded slowly. "Okay," he began, his voice slightly quieter. "But you might want to sit down for this one."

* * *

When I returned home, I was a shell of a person. Not only had I been told that I die _over and over _again when I'm eighteen-years-old—which, by the way, happened to be just shy of a year—I was also told that Anastasia Miller was not who she thought she was for the first seventeen years of her life.

Emily Miller was waiting for me when I returned home. And, from what I could tell, she wasn't happy.

But she didn't have to a right to. For the last seventeen years of my life, I thought that I couldn't _possibly _be related to her. That I was closer with my dad. And I was right – I was _entirely _right.

"Anastasia, where have you been? You were gone all night—"

"When were you going to tell me?" I asked, my voice harsh. She stared at me for a moment. "Huh? When were you going to tell me?"

My mother – or, rather, _not _my mother – just stared. "You found out," she said, her voice glum.

I shook my head at her. "I _found out_?" I said through my teeth. "No! You just 'find out' that you accidentally forgot your homework or your phone at home, you don't just 'find out' that your mother isn't really your mother!" I shouted. She was quiet and as still as a brick. "What else did you lie to me about?"

"Anastasia—"

But I was done arguing. I shook my head at her and I ran up the stairs without a word; and this was the one time that I wish she would go back to the office and leave me alone for the rest of my life.

* * *

**So, yes, Anastasia's mother is not her real mother. Kind of makes sense, doesn't it? The person who portrays her real mother is on my profile, Anne Hathaway. Don't ask me why I picked her, I just think that she would be a good fit. She's so pretty, too. **

**Anyways, thank you for reading! Comment if you can. **

_**Love,**_

_** BellaSalvatore1918**_

_**X**_


	12. Unpleasantville

**Hello, everyone! I'm in ATL today! We just went downtown to see the TVD set, but we've already seen that before so we didn't spend all that much time down there, so I came back to the hotel and decided to upload this chapter. We're here for the TO set, but our tour isn't until tomorrow. But I just bought this Ian vinyl poster...Oh. My. God. He's just so sexy, it hurts! And we found out that the TO cast is going to be at the set Friday and we're going to be able to meet them. I also got a little mini JoMo standup :) **

**Anyways, so I hope you enjoy this chapter. I will be sure to update ASAP. Remember to vote on my poll if you haven't and leave a review at the end if you could! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot**

* * *

**Unpleasantville**

"So…Derek's trapped in the tomb underneath the church, too? Just like Katherine?" I asked Stefan as we sat in our room with Shelby and Elena as well. When Stefan had told me about my mother not being my mother, he also told me that he found out that Elena was adopted. And, obviously, when I told Elena about her looking like Katherine, I also told her she was adopted. She wasn't taking it so well, but, then again, I wasn't taking the fact that my mother was not my real mother very well, either, so I didn't blame her. Stefan told us all about the tomb underneath the church that held vampires from the 1800s all trapped. And Derek happened to be one of them.

Stefan nodded. "I saw him go inside of the church to save you," he replied. "You were human. You would've died instantly, and you did. Derek was a vampire, so he was sealed inside of the tomb along with Katherine."

"And…Damon wants to let them out?" Elena filled in, skeptical. "I mean, we can't let that happen."

"No," Stefan agreed. "We can't. That's why I'm going to try and compromise with Damon. If he gets Katherine, he'll leave town with her and we'll never hear from him again. He won't be a bother to us or this town anymore." He looked around the room. I lowered my eyes. Damon…_gone? _ I didn't know how I felt about it.

I took in a deep breath. "We should save Derek, too," I told Stefan instantly. He nodded.

"I know," he said. "And, we will. In the meantime." He pulled out a box by his feet that he had brought over. "I brought some vervain for you all." Stefan walked over to my bed and put down a wooden box. Elena and Shelby got up from their places as well and we were all sitting on my bed – though Stefan was sitting on the bench before it. "I made bracelets for Jeremy and Collin," Stefan said, looking over at Shelby and Elena. "There's enough vervain here for each one of your parents and a few extra for friends. You can put it in jewelry…water…food. As long as it's in you or on you, a vampire cannot control you."

"Wow," Elena breathed out. "There's just…_so _much to remember."

"I know," Stefan admitted. "But we don't know who that man was that made your car crash," he said, looking at me. "So, until we find out who it is and what he wants, we have to be careful."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang sharply, and we all knew it was the pizza guy. Not long before the doorbell rang, my mother shouted at me. "_Anastasia! Come down! Your pizza's here._"

I got up from the bed. "I'll go with you," Elena said. I nodded and we both went downstairs, leaving Stefan and Shelby to have a moment alone. My mother left the door so that I could pay the pizza man inside my house. "Keep the change," I told him. He nodded to me and smiled, taking the cash.

"Thanks." I nodded at him. "Now, you have yourself a good night." I smiled and he backed outside of the threshold and I closed the door. Well, that was a little creepy.

"Was he, like…_flirting _with you?" Elena asked, laughing slightly. I mocked her laugh.

"Oh, ha-ha. I can't get flirted with? Just because I stopped dating for a while doesn't mean I'm not _irresistible _to guys." I shot her a wide smile, indicating that I was joking. And…I was. A little. Oh, well. Elena and I called down to Shelby and Stefan to come to the dinner table so we could eat.

Later on the next afternoon, Bonnie, Elena, Shelby, and I all sat together at the Grill. We had shared everything with her – how I live over and over again only to die, just like Shelby, and also how Elena is a creepy carbon copy of the woman that Damon and Stefan both loved.

"I just…can't believe that you're adopted," Bonnie said, leaning forward and looking at Elena. She looked over at me. "And…you? Your father was your real father and you're mother's…_not_ your real mother? How?"

"It gets weirder," Elena spoke. "I looked at my birth certificate," she informed us. "It lists Miranda and Grayson Gilbert as my birthparents; none of it makes any sense."

"Which is why you should ask Jenna," Bonnie suggested. Elena groaned. I nodded and pointed to Elena.

"Exactly." I shrugged. "If my mom really cared about me, she would've told me a long time ago. Same goes with Jenna."

"You"—Bonnie pointed at me—"just found out that you live until you're eighteen and then you die and the process repeats over and over again for…well, _eternity_." She frowned. "So, unless _your _birth mom is an alien—"

"Hey, hey, hey," Shelby said, leaning forward and giving Bonnie a look. "_Don't _steal that from me. That's my obsession, not yours." I laughed slightly. Normality, that was good. Bonnie chuckled and looked back at me.

"Seriously, Anastasia, how bad could it be?" I took in a deep breath. Maybe she was right.

"Ugh." I groaned. "I have to go. I have a lot of things to do before the dance tomorrow night." Every single year, we have at least two decade dances at our school, and tomorrow happened to be the 50s dance. I wondered how I liked the fifties, seeing as I was alive four years into it, then dead, then brought back to life again that very same day. Huh. "Bye."

They all repeated the parting and I headed out the door of the Grill. Once I reached outside and walked to my car – well, not _my _car, it was a rental car that my mother had gotten me since my car had been totaled in the accident – my phone began to ring. I answered it quickly. "Hello?"

_"Hello, Anastasia,"_ a dark, cryptic voice said over the phone. Well, that was creepy.

"Uh…who is this?" I asked, confused. If this was a prank call—

_"You hit me with your car."_ I stilled myself. _"Is that a new one?" _I looked around, and I saw a black hooded figure sauntering towards me. _"You got away from me,_" he sung into the phone. Frantically, I opened my car and climbed inside. _"You won't next time." _

But, without wasting any time, I fled the scene and was only surprised to get away alive, for the second time in a row.

* * *

"What does he even want with me?" I asked Stefan as we sat in his living room. "Did I…make an enemy or something in a past life?"

Stefan shook his head. "No. Most likely you're just a random pick. We're predators, Anastasia. We hunt. We stalk. It's often as exciting as the kill."

"Well that makes me feel better," I said sarcastically. Stefan sat down in front of me and held something out.

"I want you to take this and keep it," he said, holding out the pocket watch that I had used to help find Logan Fell. "That way, you'll know if you're ever in danger."

I nodded at him. "Thanks, Stefan."

"No problem."

After school, I headed back to my house, where Shelby would be coming over to get ready with me and Stefan would pick us up for the dance. My mom bitched and moaned about the rental car, and so Stefan offered to take us both to the dance. To be honest, I didn't mind pissing her off, but Stefan thought that I shouldn't.

When I came back home, my mom was surprisingly there, in the kitchen, working on paperwork that she probably needed to finish for some big case – there was _always _a big case. I went into the kitchen to grab something to drink in total silence.

"I spoke to the insurance company," she began as I waited for the water in my glass to fill up. "Your car is totaled. I'll see if we can go out this weekend and get a new one." She paused. "You can keep using the rental for now." I nodded at her and removed my glass from the fridge's water dispenser so I could get a snack. "You going to the dance tonight?"

"Yep." I sighed heavily. Knowing her, she would probably ground me for being…well, _me. _

Instead, she surprised me. "Have fun," my mother said slowly. I turned around at her and put my snack on the counter.

"Why?" I asked her simply. She looked up at me. "Why did you and Dad keep it a secret from me?"

My mother sighed. "We planned to tell you on your eighteenth birthday," she admitted. Oh, great. My entire life revolved around my eighteenth birthday.

I cleared my throat. "Well, here I am," I said, gesturing to me. "And I know, so…you can go on with the story."

Emily Miller looked at me for a moment before she cleared her own throat and got up from the table. She rubbed her eyes, ran a hand through her hair, and threw it up, launching into the story. " Your birth mom was your father's ex-girlfriend," she explained. "They had broken up, he was dating me, but...she came up to our door one day and she had just given birth. I wasn't living with him, I didn't know what happened. When I came over and saw a baby, I was...scared. But he begged me to stay. It took some getting used to, but, I stayed." She shrugged. "Believe it or not, Anastasia, I wanted you, too."

I was silent. "What…else do you know?" I asked. "About her?"

"I didn't ask a lot of questions," she admitted. I scoffed and looked away for a moment. Of course. "Her name was Laura," my mother spoke. "That's…pretty much all I know."

"Is that why you never let me leave the city?" I asked, prompting her. "To keep me from finding out the truth?"

"Anastasia, don't be ridiculous." She scoffed. "I kept you here because I wanted you safe. A lot of bad things happen outside of this town."

I chuckled. "Yeah, if you only knew the bad that happened in it," I snapped before going upstairs and into my room to wait until Shelby arrived. She did, eventually, and we spent the rest of the night getting changed and fixing ourselves up for the dance. It was her first _official _date with Stefan Salvatore, even though they had sort of dated before. I didn't want to be the one to break it to her, but at the rate things were going? I highly doubted that anyone was _really _going to be going out on dates in this town with all of this crap happening.

"Where'd your mom go?" Shelby asked as I finished blow-drying my hair. I put the blow dryer down on the counter and ran a brush through my hair.

I shrugged. "Who knows?" I sighed. "I'm _so _done with all of these lies. And she can't help me, anyways, she never spoke to my real mother. And it's not like I can ask my dad," I said glumly. With another exhale, I shook my head. "Let's…Let's not talk about it. How are you doing with the whole 'we're immortal' thing?"

Shelby let out a deep breath and chuckled lightly. "God, I don't know what to think."

"Right," I agreed and moved to step out of the bathroom. I went to my nightstand to put the vervain anklet that I had taken off for my shower back on my ankle, and that's when I heard something strange. I raised my eyebrows and went to my door. "Mom?" I shouted, but there was no answer. Suddenly, I heard something whirl, and I turned back to see the pocket watch that Stefan gave me ticking on my bed. Shelby had been looking at it, and I guess she left it open. Shelby stepped out of the bathroom as well, turning off the lights, and when she saw me staring at the watch, she spoke.

"What is it?"

"The watch," I replied, going over to her and picking up the watch in my hand. "It's moving."

"What does that mean?"

"That a vampire is close." I walked over to the nightstand and grabbed my phone. Instantly, I called Stefan. While the phone rang, I beckoned Shelby with me and we both rushed downstairs. I waited for Stefan to answer the phone, but, instead, it was Damon.

_"Stefan's phone. How may I help you?" _

"Where is he?" I demanded as we rushed down the stairs and stopped in the hallway to the door.

_"Oh, he's on his way to you. Forgot his phone." _I stopped and Shelby looked at me. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay. Okay, okay. Thank God."

_"What's wrong?" _

"The compass," I responded. "It was spinning. I guess Stefan must be here. Thanks, anyways, Damon."

_"You're welcome_." And just as I hung up the phone, Shelby let out a piercing scream. I turned around, but only to be grabbed and attacked by a vampire.

"Anastasia!" I heard someone call out, but I fell to the floor, knocking Shelby down with me. I looked up to see Stefan push someone away from me and, within moments, the door slammed, and no one was here at all. Stefan quickly rushed over to me and pulled us both from the floor. "Are you okay?" he asked us gently. I nodded at him and swallowed, and Shelby did the same. Stefan pulled her closer to him, and I just took a moment to catch my breath.

What I wanted to know was how the hell a vampire got into my house. Unless…

The pizza guy.

And that's exactly what we told Damon when he asked after he came over to talk with Stefan, Shelby, and I.

"Well, how'd he get in?"

"He was invited in by my mom," I answered him.

"He posed as a pizza delivery guy last night," Stefan explained. Damon gave a look of approval.

"Well, he gets points for that." I looked up at him and shot him a glare. Damon rolled his eyes. "Did he say what he wanted?"

"No, Damon, he was too busy lunging at my _neck _to start conversing," I returned sourly. Damon just shrugged and smirked at me. I shifted my gaze uncomfortably, seeing as I had really been trying to avoid Damon. Not that I didn't want to know what happened between us in my other lives, but...it was _weird_. I was Damon's ex, and I didn't remember any of it. What was it like for _him_? Was he really still in love with me?

"And you have _no _idea who this is?" Stefan pushed. Damon shook his head.

"No." Somehow, I knew that Stefan didn't believe him. "Don't look at me like that. I _told _you we had company."

Shelby knotted her eyebrows. "You think there's more than one?"

Damon shrugged. "We don't know," he admitted. Everything was quiet.

"Damon, he was _invited _in," Stefan said slowly. So that meant he had an invitation to kill me while I slept. Great.

Damon nodded, and everything was still for just a second before he spoke. "Then we go get him tonight," he proposed. Damon looked down at me. "You up for it?"

"What do I do?" I asked, confused. "Sit in my house alone and wait until he comes for me again?"

"No," Damon countered. "Let us take you both to the dance. We'll see who shows up."

Stefan shook his head. "That's a bad idea," he warned.

Damon looked at his brother, incredulous. "Until we get him, this house isn't safe. For _anyone _who lives in it," he added. "It's worth a shot," Damon muttered. I looked up at him.

"Why don't you just stay at my house?" Shelby proposed. "That way you'll be safe."

"And leave my mom here?" I scoffed. "I mean, I'm not a big fan of her right now, but…I don't want her to _die _because of some weird marking I have on me." I took in a deep breath. "I'll do it." Damon nodded at me and I turned to Stefan. "I'll be fine," I promised him.

I just didn't know if I was trying to convince them or convince myself.

* * *

Shelby and I walked in with Damon and Stefan by our sides, looking around cautiously for any sign of the crazy vampire that tried to bite me not a half hour ago. Stefan and Shelby split up from me and Damon, and Damon eventually split up from me, leaving me alone. Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena came up to me, all decked-out in their fifties costumes. "Having fun?" I asked.

"Mm…no," Caroline responded. "But, _this_"—she gestured to her clothing—"took about two hours, so I'm at _least _staying half of that."

I laughed when she laughed, and I pointed to the necklace on her neck. "Where'd you get that?" I asked. "It's pretty," I complimented.

"Thank you," Caroline replied, smiling. "Elena gave it to me as a lesbian love gift," she joked. Elena rolled her eyes.

"It was a _present." _Elena laughed. From the small look that she gave me, I realized that there was vervain in the necklace. Now it made sense. I looked back and forth between the two of them.

"So…you two are okay?" I asked hopefully. Their Matt tug-o-war was completely obvious, but I just hadn't seen them in the same room so I didn't have time to ask. What I did know was that Elena thought Caroline was avoiding her because of the whole situation.

"Yeah," Caroline replied. "Yeah, of course we are. Right, Elena?"

"Of course." Elena scoffed as if they'd buried the hatchet, but I sensed something off. Before I could ask, Bonnie spoke.

"What's Damon doing here?" she asked, spotting him in the crowd. I turned to see Damon talking to Stefan, but I didn't see Shelby. "Are you…here with him?" Bonnie asked. I turned around sharply.

"No," I answered, raising my eyebrows. "What would make you think that?" Bonnie shrugged. "No, he's not here with me. He just wanted to come. But he'll be fine, promise."

"You and the Salvatore brothers." Caroline shot me a smile. "How awesome." I tilted my head at her and scowled.

"Stefan's my friend and Damon's…Damon." I shrugged. "He's here. I have to learn to tolerate him, especially with Shelby and Stefan dating. It's not like I can hit him over the head with a crowbar and kill him or something."

"There's a thought," Bonnie mumbled.

Caroline tapped Bonnie's cup in a toast. "Mm. I'll help."

I shook my head at them and tried to bite back a smile. A little while later, I went to go get a drink for Bonnie, Elena, Caroline, and I, but when I returned, only Damon remained at our table. "Where did they go?" I asked, looking around for my friends. Damon turned to me, shrugging.

"I don't know," he responded. I frowned at him and put the punch glasses down on the table.

"What'd you say to them?" I sighed. Damon gave me an offended look.

"I'm hurt, Anastasia!" he said sardonically. "I was _perfectly _polite."

"If you were perfectly polite, they wouldn't have left, would they?"

"Mm," Damon agreed with a roll of his eyes. "Come on, Anastasia, dance with me?" he asked me, slightly singing the invitation. I stared at him."Please?" he added.

"No."

"Why not?" Damon groaned. "_One _dance won't kill you, I swear!"

I sighed again and grabbed one of the drinks that I had gotten. "Look, my friends already think I came with you, Damon. I dance with you and it just sets me up for a confrontation with Caroline, which I _really _don't want to deal with." I downed the small dose of punch in my cup and slammed it back on the table.

Damon scoffed. "You're _still _worried about Caroline and her little _feelings _for me?" He scoffed once more. "Please. I've known you _way _longer than I've known her. She practically stole _me _from you." Damon shot me a smile and I glared at him for a moment, debating my next move. That's what it was with Damon – a game.

But I played it. "About that," I started. Damon rolled his eyes. "Stefan said you left me...err, Rose," I corrected myself, feeling awkward about referring to myself as Damon's ex-girlfriend. "In nineteen eighteen." I clarified while shrugging. "Why?"

Damon eyed me. "Tell you what," he proposed. I let out a frustrated sigh and turned my head to look somewhere else. _Of course. _He had a price. "You dance with me – just _one _dance – and ask all the questions you can and I'll answer them. Just _one _dance."

"Why?"

Damon shrugged. "I'm bored," he admitted. I gave him a look and thought for a second, until I finally walked around the table.

"Fine," I agreed and held my index finger up. "_One _dance."

"That's all I asked for," Damon answered. I frowned at him before walking out onto the dance floor as the song switched, but it was still a slow song. Well, damn. I thought I had that one planned out. Damon grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him, and I hesitantly put my hands on his shoulders as his hands rested on my waist. I let out a nervous breath before starting.

"Okay," I began. "Question one—"

"_Don't _number the questions," he whined. I scowled at him.

"Fine," I said through closed teeth. Damon winked at me and pulled me in a circle, and I sighed. "Let's start with Derek."

Damon frowned. "What about him?"

"You hated him?" I asked. "Because…Elizabeth was with him? You were jealous?" I inquired. Damon let out a whistle.

"Well, Stefan really messed up _that _story," Damon said. I waited for him to answer. "No, Anastasia, I didn't hate him. Derek and I were friends. Even through it all, we were friends. Best friends. I just…didn't like him as much after he took you," he explained, not bothering to call me by my other name. But his tone was so nonchalant that it was impossible to believe he was ever in love with her – or, rather, me.

"And Katherine?" I prompted. "You loved her, you still do. Why didn't you go after Elena instead of Caroline, then?"

Damon groaned. "Elena is _not _Katherine," he said, as if disgusted by the thought. "I don't want a carbon copy, I want the real thing."

"I'm a carbon copy," I pointed out.

"No," he retorted, pointing at me. "_You're _the real Elizabeth. Elena is Elena. Katherine is Katherine. _You _are Anastasia, Elizabeth, and every other person you have ever led a life as."

"So you love Katherine?" I asked, and tilted my head. "Well, _more, _I guess."

"More than what?" Damon asked, as if irritated.

"More than Elizabeth."

Damon was silent before he spoke to me, groaning. "You're _so _much more fun when you're drunk!" he complained.

"That wasn't an answer," I pointed out. "And I _only _agreed to dancing with you if you answered my questions." Damon was silent and I shrugged, forcing away myself from him. "All right, fine. I'll find Stefan, he's a better dancer than you are, anyways," I taunted. But before I could get within three steps away, Damon gripped my hand and pulled me back to him and resumed dancing with me.

"I'm going to get Katherine out of the tomb, no matter what the cost," Damon said simply, shrugging. "There's your answer."

I wanted to say that I didn't know what it meant, but I did. I took in an inhale and looked up at Damon, but he wouldn't look up at me. I asked another question, knowing I only had time for one left. "So…why'd you leave?" I asked. Damon looked down at me. "In nineteen eighteen? Why'd you leave?" I could see him hesitate.

"You died," Damon said simply. "That's all you did. Died. You got boring, I left. There." He shot me a bitter smile. "There's your answer."

I looked up at Damon incredulously. Why did he have to be so…crude? It was _me_ we were talking about, he just said it himself. The song ended and a faster song started, and I stared at Damon for just a little longer before I scoffed, shook my head, and left without a single glance back at him. I walked over to Shelby and Stefan, though they were in the middle of…something, I guess. God, it _sucked _not having anyone to be like that with. The closest person I had was Damon, and there was no way I was ever going to that route with him. I wanted to shudder thinking about it. But after Stefan and Shelby pulled away and saw me, they beckoned me forward. I gave them a weak smile and walked up.

"Hey!" Shelby said, laughing a little. "You wanna dance?"

"I think I've had enough dancing for one night," I admitted truthfully. Stefan shrugged and spun Shelby under his arm before he jerked his head towards the punch bowl.

"Come on, let's get a drink," he suggested. We all walked over to the punch bowl and got a drink before returning to a table to speak.

"So, I guess we worried for nothing," I breathed out as I drank from the cup. Stefan laughed and turned to Shelby.

"All that dancing for nothing."

"You enjoyed it!" Shelby protested. I laughed at them before turning my head, only to see Damon practically grouping a high schooler out on the dance floor. Oh, God, how _wrong _is that?

"You _really _can't take him anywhere, can you?" I asked, sighing heavily.

Stefan shook his head. "Uh…_no_." I laughed lightly at Stefan's tone. It was completely fitting. But when I looked around the room again, I realized.

"Stefan," I whispered through closed, smiling teeth as I let my eyes drag around the room again. "Back. Corner." I smiled at him and Shelby, and Stefan subtly let his eyes glide over to the hooded figure that I spotted. Stefan's smile instantly dropped from his face.

"Get Damon," Stefan said quickly before setting off after the figure. I turned to Shelby.

"Go that way," I told her over the loud music. "I'll go this way."

"Do you think it's a really good idea to split up right now?" Shelby shouted over the impending music.

"It's the only way we'll find him!" I said. "Go!" She nodded at me and we both split up, taking our own ways to cover the dance floor. I looked around for Damon, but I couldn't find him, and just as I was about to turn around and go look for Shelby to see if she had found him, my phone rang.

_"Hello, Anastasia," _the voice on the other side said as I answered it. _"Here's what you're going to do. There's an exit door behind you." _I looked behind me to see that the voice was right. _"You have five seconds." _

"No," I countered. "I don't."

_"Or Shelby dies,_" the voice continue. I turned around to see Shelby behind held by the arm by a man – the pizza delivery guy. _"I can snap her neck so fast, I bet there wouldn't be any witnesses." _

"Don't hurt her," I snarled.

_"Keep walking,_" the man proposed. I backed up. _"Through the door." _I watched as he released Shelby's hold and I took off for the door, hoping that I would find Stefan before this man killed me. I ran out the door as fast as I could and I ran down the hallway equally as fast. But I soon came a locked door, chained by either the serial killer that was after me or the forces that conspired to see me dead. I turned around, only to find said serial killer in front of me, sauntering forward as if he were waiting for the right time to strike. I took no chances. I pushed open the cafeteria doors and ran inside, trying to open the double doors that led outside, but they wouldn't open, either. The door that I ran into to get into the cafeteria flew open, and in a blink of an eye, the pizza man was in front of me. I tried to dodge him, but he gripped my arm and pulled me back. I screamed, but it was helpless. The guy threw me against a table, and I landed on my stomach, surrounded by papers and pencils.

_Pencils. _

There was a noise of something slamming, and I grabbed all of the pencils that I could from my position. The man pulled me up by the torso and slammed me against the wall, his fangs ready for biting. He lunged forward, but I slipped out of his way and put two pencils straight in his abdomen. The man grunted, but he just pulled the pencil out, stained with his blood. He looked up at me, and I reached forward to stab a pencil in his arm, but he ended up restraining it so that the pencil went in his hand. I brought my knee up and caught the man off guard, where I stabbed a pencil in his back and backed up into the custodial bucket that was by the vending machines. I saw the mop beside me and I quickly pulled it out from the bucket and blindly stabbed again, mainly because I didn't know where _to _stab to kill a vampire. In the heart, but…_where? _

But it didn't make it so far.

The man took the mop and threw it on the ground, and I was left to think of only one conclusion.

I'm dead.

He lunged forward and barred his fangs, and I tried to push him off, though it didn't work. Just as I felt two fangs pierce my skin, the man was forced off of me, and I looked up to see Stefan.

And then Damon.

"Hey, dickhead," Damon began, across the cafeteria room. Damon held up his hands in defense, and I saw that he was holding a wooden stake. "Nobody wants to kill you, we just wanna talk." _Excuse me? _I wanted to kill him. I just didn't fully understand…_how_.

But the man didn't say anything. He was silent for a few beats before I saw him flash over, and something was thrown, and Stefan lunged forward. There was a cracking sound and the man dropped to his knees, the stake in his stomach. He gasped for air.

"Now you feel like talking?" Stefan demanded.

"Screw you," the man choked out. Stefan took the stake and drove it further into the man's stomach, and I watched. It was…sickening, but it had to be done. I knew that.

"Wrong answer," Stefan warned. "Why are you doing this?"

The guy rolled his eyes. "Because it's fun." Stefan twisted it in again. The man gasped more, his air supply limited.

"What do you want with Anastasia?"

The man tilted his head. "I-It's Elizabeth," he said simply. I stared at him. What did he just say to me? How did _he _know? Stefan and Damon shared a glance, too, and Stefan moved away from the man.

Damon looked at me and back at the man. "You knew Elizabeth?"

"Ooh." The man winced. "You think you were the only one who knew her secret? Katherine told me," the man squeezed out.

"Katherine?" Stefan demanded. "What do you know about Katherine?"

The man laughed. "I get it, you two thought you were the only ones. Guess you don't remember me?"

Damon leaned down. "Tell me how to get into the tomb," he demanded. "Hmm?"

"No," the man gasped. Stefan clamped a hand down on the man's shoulder and drove the stake further in. The man let out a cry of pain. "The Grimoire," the man said at last.

"Where is it?"

He was silent, and Stefan did what he did again – drove the stake in further and further. I turned away. Maybe it was a _little _too much.

"Check…the journal! The journal! Jonathan Gilbert's," he explained.

"Gilbert?" I demanded. "As in Elena?" I looked back and forth between Stefan and Damon, and they looked at each other. Damon tilted his head back in irritation. Stefan looked down at the man.

"Who else is working with you?" Stefan asked.

"Who else is there?" Damon repeated.

"No," the man gasped. "You're gonna have to kill me." Damon again gave an annoyed look. I waited and watched as Stefan took the stake out of the man's heart, earning a scream from the man. Stefan thrust forward and put the stake clean into the man's heart. I watched as he died before my eyes.

"But…" I trailed off, shaking my head. "How are we going to find out who else is working for him?" I asked them.

"He had to die," Damon told me.

"I know," I responded. "But—"

"Anastasia," Stefan said, making me turn to him. I swallowed. "He's been invited in," he said simply, and I understood. Suddenly, there was a sound, and Stefan and Damon turned towards the door, where there was a figure. "Go," Stefan told Damon. "I've got this." Damon nodded and left, and I turned to Stefan.

"Shelby?"

"I told her to stay put," he answered. "She's in the gym." Stefan jerked his head back. "Go. I'll take care of this and I'll meet you in there and I'll take you both home, okay?" I nodded at him and followed his instructions, going back to the gymnasium to meet up with Shelby.

"Anastasia!" Shelby gasped when she saw me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I nodded at her a couple times.

"What happened?"

"It's over," I told her. "He's dead."

"What did he want?"

I shrugged. "Apparently, he knew me," I answered her. "And…Katherine, I guess." I swallowed. "I'm starting to feel like opening this tomb is going to cause some serious issues."

Shelby scoffed. "Oh, opening a tomb that might or might not release twenty-something vampires into the world is _so _not going to cause any issues," she said mockingly. I frowned at her and she just sighed. "Come on. We'll figure everything out later, let's just go home," she suggested, and I nodded.

* * *

I walked up the stairs that led up to my front doorstep as I heard Stefan and Shelby leave right after they dropped me off. I walked up to the door and unlocked it, but before I could push it open, I saw Damon standing right beside me. I jumped out of my own skin and scowled at him.

"Sorry," he said, but he was obviously unapologetic about it. I pressed my hand to my chest and took out a long sigh before shutting the door to my house and turning to Damon. I swallowed.

"It's okay," I said. "What's wrong?"

Damon shrugged. "Nothing." He looked out to the street. "My brother has oddly agreed to help me get Katherine back from the tomb." Damon flickered his eyes towards me. "And he mentioned something about you wanting to get Derek out, too."

I looked at him for a moment. "Well, Damon, I was going to tell you," I admitted, shrugging. "But, yeah. I think we should save him, too. I mean, Elizabeth's the reason he's down there..." I trailed off. "And, since Elizabeth is me..." It was something that I didn't admit to Stefan. It was something that I had just begun to realize. Derek went into that church to save me, but he ended up getting trapped underneath it for a hundred years. It might not have been..._me _back in 1864, but I still wanted to get him out.

Damon gave a light laugh without a smile. "Right. So you feel guilty?" he proposed.

I crossed my arms. "What else am I supposed to feel?" I challenged. "I don't remember _anything _from these lives you and your brother keep telling me about. And, obviously, Elizabeth loved Derek, so…I want to save him, too. Not only because I feel guilty but because I want to." I shrugged. "Why?"

Damon just stared at me. "No reason," he said, his voice monotone. "I just wanted to know, that's all."

I shifted. "Okay, then." I paused. "Listen, I'll help you, too, Damon, okay?" I said, saying the words that I knew he was waiting to hear. "You'll have Katherine again and I'll save Derek. There you have it."

Damon looked at me once more. "There you have it," he agreed, giving me a light smile. I nodded at him and turned to the door to push it open, but I turned back at him, ready to say goodnight, when I saw that he was gone.

So, I sighed, and I just walked into my house and shut the door anyways.

* * *

**There you have it.**

**All right, well that's all I have for you for this chapter! :) Next up is Children of the Damned, which was a good episode...ish. Elena makes her comeback that episode. Like I said, Elena's not going to be the main focus of this story, but she's still going to be there. But she's not really going to be that evident until season 2. **

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and if you left a comment it would be much appreciated. Thank you to everyone who reviews on each of my chapters. **

_**Love, **_

_**BellaSalvatore1918**_

_**X**_


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